USDA Hardiness Zone 10a
Frost Dates for 93923 — Carmel, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Monterey, CA (260 ft), 5 miles north.
Updated
Frost is not a yearly event in Carmel: a night at or below 32°F came in 20% of the winters of 1991–2020 at Monterey, CA, and a 36°F night, cold enough for frost on exposed leaves, in 84%. There is no reliable "last frost date" here; most years have none.
- Winters with a freeze
- 20%
- Winters with 36°F
- 84%
- Coldest month low
- 44°F
- Hardiness zone
- 10a
32°F or below, 1991–2020
frost possible on leaves
average, December
30 to 35°F (-1.1 to 1.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 35%
- Snow per year
- 0.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Carmel
At Monterey, CA, 5 miles north of Carmel, 20% of the winters of 1991–2020 had at least one night at or below 32°F, 2% reached 28°F. Nights of 36°F, enough for frost on exposed leaves, are more common (84% of winters) and, when they come, fall between about December 22 and January 19. December is the month most likely to bring one: a 11% chance in a given year. 62 of the 283 other California stations behind this site's ZIP pages freeze in fewer than half of winters too.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F84% of yrs | Dec 19 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 28 | Feb 7 | Feb 22 | Mar 2 |
| 32°F20% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 28°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F84% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 25 |
| 32°F20% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 28°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Monterey, 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 93923 →Compare Carmel with another place →
Weather by month in Carmel
September is the warmest month at Monterey, CA, averaging 71°F by day and 53°F at night; December is the coldest at 59°F and 44°F. From February to November the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,575 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 89% of the 283 California stations. 37% of them (949) have built up by the end of June, and September adds the most, 365. Precipitation totals 20.6 inches a year, most in January (4.4") and least in July (0.1"); May to September bring 5% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 45 | 4.4 | 10% | <1 | 102 |
| Feb | 61 | 45 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 105 |
| Mar | 63 | 46 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 143 |
| Apr | 63 | 47 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 154 |
| May | 64 | 49 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 195 |
| Jun | 66 | 51 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 251 |
| Jul | 67 | 53 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 310 |
| Aug | 69 | 54 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 346 |
| Sep | 71 | 53 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 365 |
| Oct | 71 | 52 | 0.9 | 0% | 0 | 346 |
| Nov | 64 | 48 | 1.8 | 0% | 0 | 184 |
| Dec | 59 | 44 | 3.6 | 11% | <1 | 76 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Monterey, CA (260 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, Monterey WFO, CA, 6 miles north of Carmel, has a 32°F night in 47% of winters against 20% here, and a coolest-month low 1°F colder (43°F).
When it snows in Carmel, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Monterey, CA, 5.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 93923 is 5 miles from Monterey, CA, which stands at 260 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 93940 (Monterey). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 93923 in zone 10a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 30 to 35°F (-1.1 to 1.7°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.