USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 93924 — Carmel Valley, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Carmel Valley, CA (480 ft), 3 miles northwest.
Updated
In Carmel Valley, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 20 in half of years and has passed by March 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 8, as early as November 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 294 days (NOAA, Carmel Valley, CA).
- Last spring frost
- February 20
- First fall frost
- December 8
- Growing season
- 294 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 Carmel Valley
Half of springs at Carmel Valley, CA see their last 32°F night by February 20; only one in ten is past it by January 3, and one in ten still has one after March 27. Planting tender crops after March 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 13 20%, and after March 27 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 8 in half of years, as early as November 14 one year in ten, and holds off past January 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 16, 39 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 294 days in a typical year, longer than at 62% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 343 days one year in ten and falls short of 250 one year in ten. On average 12 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 52 days longer, to about April 13, and return around November 17. A 24°F night is unusual: 9% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 13 | Mar 26 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 25 | May 1 | May 12 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 18 | Jan 31 | Feb 10 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 | Mar 27 |
| 28°F55% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 28 | Feb 16 |
| 24°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F0% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Nov 14 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 29 | Jan 16 |
| 28°F55% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 27 |
| 24°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F0% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Carmel Valley, 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 93924 →Compare Carmel Valley with another place →
Weather by month in Carmel Valley
September is the warmest month at Carmel Valley, CA, averaging 81°F by day and 51°F at night; December is the coldest at 63°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 50% of years and March still brings one in 31% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,207 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 80% of the 283 California stations. 36% of them (1,154) have built up by the end of June, and September adds the most, 469. Precipitation totals 17.9 inches a year, most in January (3.9") 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 | 40 | 3.9 | 63% | 3 | 96 |
| Feb | 64 | 41 | 3.5 | 50% | 3 | 98 |
| Mar | 67 | 42 | 2.8 | 31% | 1 | 150 |
| Apr | 69 | 43 | 1.4 | 7% | <1 | 178 |
| May | 71 | 46 | 0.5 | 0% | 0 | 267 |
| Jun | 76 | 48 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 365 |
| Jul | 79 | 51 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 457 |
| Aug | 80 | 51 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 468 |
| Sep | 81 | 51 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 469 |
| Oct | 78 | 48 | 0.8 | 0% | 0 | 396 |
| Nov | 69 | 42 | 1.7 | 32% | 1 | 182 |
| Dec | 63 | 40 | 3.0 | 72% | 5 | 81 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Carmel Valley, CA (480 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, 14 miles northwest of Carmel Valley and 358 feet lower, has a 32°F night in 47% of winters against 98% here, and a coolest-month low 3°F warmer (43°F).
When it snows in Carmel Valley, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at San Clemente Dam, CA, 1.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 93924
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 12 – December 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 26 – January 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 23 – February 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 8 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 93924 is 3 miles from Carmel Valley, CA, which stands at 480 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 93924 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.