USDA Hardiness Zone 10a
Frost Dates for 94038 — Moss Beach, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pacifica 4 SSE, CA (475 ft), 5 miles northeast.
Updated
Frost is not a yearly event in Moss Beach: a night at or below 32°F came in 20% of the winters of 1991–2020 at Pacifica 4 SSE, CA, and a 36°F night, cold enough for frost on exposed leaves, in 67%. There is no reliable "last frost date" here; most years have none.
- Winters with a freeze
- 20%
- Winters with 36°F
- 67%
- Coldest month low
- 45°F
- Hardiness zone
- 10a
32°F or below, 1991–2020
frost possible on leaves
average, January
30 to 35°F (-1.1 to 1.7°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 Moss Beach
At Pacifica 4 SSE, CA, 5 miles northeast of Moss Beach, 20% of the winters of 1991–2020 had at least one night at or below 32°F, 5% reached 28°F. Nights of 36°F, enough for frost on exposed leaves, are more common (67% of winters) and, when they come, fall between about January 4 and January 25. January is the month most likely to bring one: a 13% 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°F67% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 14 | Feb 27 | Mar 11 |
| 32°F20% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 28°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F67% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Jan 29 | Feb 19 |
| 32°F20% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 28°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pacifica 4 SSE, 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 94038 →Compare Moss Beach with another place →
Weather by month in Moss Beach
September is the warmest month at Pacifica 4 SSE, CA, averaging 72°F by day and 53°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 45°F. From February to December the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,794 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 88% of the 283 California stations. 37% of them (1,037) have built up by the end of June, and September adds the most, 386. Precipitation totals 32.0 inches a year, most in December (6.6") and least in July (0.0"); May to September bring 5% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 45 | 6.1 | 13% | <1 | 84 |
| Feb | 60 | 46 | 6.5 | 2% | <1 | 100 |
| Mar | 61 | 46 | 4.5 | 1% | 0 | 131 |
| Apr | 64 | 48 | 2.4 | 0% | 0 | 176 |
| May | 67 | 49 | 1.0 | 0% | 0 | 253 |
| Jun | 69 | 51 | 0.3 | 0% | 0 | 294 |
| Jul | 69 | 52 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 336 |
| Aug | 71 | 53 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 377 |
| Sep | 72 | 53 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 386 |
| Oct | 70 | 52 | 1.5 | 0% | 0 | 347 |
| Nov | 64 | 50 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 211 |
| Dec | 59 | 46 | 6.6 | 6% | <1 | 100 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pacifica 4 SSE, CA (475 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, Half Moon Bay, CA, 5 miles southeast of Moss Beach and 448 feet lower, has a 32°F night in 82% of winters against 20% here, and a coolest-month low 2°F colder (43°F).
When it snows in Moss Beach, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Pacifica 4 SSE, CA, 5.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 94038 is 5 miles from Pacifica 4 SSE, CA, which stands at 475 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 94044 (Pacifica). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 94038 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.