USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 93901 — Salinas, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Salinas #2, CA (45 ft), under a mile southwest.
Updated
In Salinas, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 4 in half of years and has passed by March 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 6, as early as November 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 311 days (NOAA, Salinas #2, CA).
- Last spring frost
- February 4
- First fall frost
- December 6
- Growing season
- 311 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Salinas
Half of springs at Salinas #2, CA see their last 32°F night by February 4; only one in ten is past it by December 25, and one in ten still has one after March 11. Planting tender crops after February 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after February 28 20%, and after March 11 10%. The 35 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 71% of the 220 California stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by December 6 in half of years, as early as November 18 one year in ten, and holds off past January 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around December 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is January 28, 42 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 311 days in a typical year, longer than at 69% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 348 days one year in ten and falls short of 268 one year in ten. On average 7 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 49 days longer, to about March 25, and return around November 19. A 24°F night is unusual: 3% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 18 | Feb 28 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 | Apr 18 |
| 32°F96% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 4 | Jan 15 | Jan 27 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 11 |
| 28°F50% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 28 |
| 24°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 32°F96% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 5 |
| 28°F50% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 |
| 24°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Salinas #2, CA, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 93901 →Compare Salinas with another place →
Weather by month in Salinas
September is the warmest month at Salinas #2, CA, averaging 75°F by day and 53°F at night; December is the coldest at 62°F and 40°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 42% of years and March still brings one in 17% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,973 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 84% of the 283 California stations. 39% of them (1,148) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 414. Precipitation totals 15.6 inches a year, most in January (3.3") and least in July (0.0"); May to September bring 4% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 41 | 3.3 | 60% | 2 | 104 |
| Feb | 64 | 42 | 3.0 | 42% | 1 | 109 |
| Mar | 66 | 44 | 2.5 | 17% | <1 | 164 |
| Apr | 67 | 45 | 1.1 | 1% | 0 | 188 |
| May | 68 | 49 | 0.5 | 0% | 0 | 262 |
| Jun | 70 | 51 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 321 |
| Jul | 71 | 54 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 384 |
| Aug | 73 | 54 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 414 |
| Sep | 75 | 53 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 408 |
| Oct | 74 | 49 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 356 |
| Nov | 68 | 43 | 1.6 | 31% | 1 | 182 |
| Dec | 62 | 40 | 2.8 | 71% | 4 | 80 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Salinas #2, CA (45 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Salinas Municipal Airport, CA, 3 miles east of Salinas, has a last frost 6 days earlier (January 29), a first frost 4 days later (December 10), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Salinas, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Salinas #2, CA, 0.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 93901
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 26 – December 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 10 – December 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 7 – January 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 6 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 93901 is under a mile from Salinas #2, CA, which stands at 45 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 93901 in zone 9b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across California →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.