USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 95064 — Santa Cruz, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Santa Cruz, CA (70 ft), 4 miles east.
Updated
In Santa Cruz, the last spring frost (32°F) is around January 29 in half of years and has passed by February 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 13, as early as November 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 323 days (NOAA, Santa Cruz, CA).
- Last spring frost
- January 29
- First fall frost
- December 13
- Growing season
- 323 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 Santa Cruz
Half of springs at Santa Cruz, CA see their last 32°F night by January 29; only one in ten is past it by December 25, and one in ten still has one after February 28. Planting tender crops after February 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after February 19 20%, and after February 28 10%. The 30 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 48% 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 13 in half of years, as early as November 23 one year in ten, and holds off past January 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F is less common: it came in 42% of winters. The freeze-free season lasts 323 days in a typical year, longer than at 77% of the 219 California stations; it reaches 361 days one year in ten and falls short of 278 one year in ten. On average 6 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 44 days longer, to about March 14, and return around November 24. A 24°F night is unusual: 3% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 4 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 5 | Apr 12 |
| 32°F91% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 28 |
| 28°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 |
| 32°F91% of yrs | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 29 | Jan 5 | Jan 22 |
| 28°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 24°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Santa Cruz, 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 95064 →Compare Santa Cruz with another place →
Weather by month in Santa Cruz
August is the warmest month at Santa Cruz, CA, averaging 76°F by day and 55°F at night; December is the coldest at 62°F and 41°F. From March to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 34% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,271 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 78% of the 283 California stations. 40% of them (1,301) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 471. Precipitation totals 30.5 inches a year, most in January (6.4") 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 | 6.4 | 57% | 2 | 92 |
| Feb | 64 | 43 | 6.1 | 34% | 1 | 109 |
| Mar | 67 | 44 | 4.3 | 7% | <1 | 173 |
| Apr | 69 | 46 | 2.0 | 2% | 0 | 227 |
| May | 71 | 49 | 0.9 | 0% | 0 | 316 |
| Jun | 74 | 52 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 384 |
| Jul | 74 | 54 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 443 |
| Aug | 76 | 55 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 471 |
| Sep | 77 | 53 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 444 |
| Oct | 74 | 50 | 1.3 | 0% | 0 | 363 |
| Nov | 67 | 44 | 3.2 | 19% | 1 | 176 |
| Dec | 62 | 41 | 6.0 | 60% | 3 | 73 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Santa Cruz, CA (70 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, Ben Lomond #4, CA, 6 miles north of Santa Cruz and 350 feet higher, has a last frost 55 days later (March 25), a first frost 32 days earlier (November 11), a season 92 days shorter.
When it snows in Santa Cruz, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Santa Cruz, CA, 3.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 95064
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 20 – December 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 4 – December 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 1 – January 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| January 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 13 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 95064 is 4 miles from Santa Cruz, CA, which stands at 70 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 95060 (Santa Cruz). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 95064 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.