Frost dates for Menifee, California
Menifee doesn't get a freezing night every winter: about 91 years in 100 have one. In those years, half have had their last frost by January 28 and half their first by December 18.
Frost dates for
Menifee, California
Last spring frost
January 28
Not every winter has one: about 91 years in 100 have a freezing night here. In those years, half have their last frost by this date, and 1 in 10 still have one after February 27.
First fall frost
December 18
In years with a freeze, half have their first one by this date, and 1 in 10 by December 1.
Growing season
329 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 287.
Hardiness zone
9b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 25°F to 30°F. On the 2012 map it was 9a, half a zone colder. All 5 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 9b.
Print a year planner for Menifee
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | December 24 | January 28 | February 27 |
| First frost in fall | December 1 | December 18 | January 24 |
The frost-free season between them runs 329 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 361 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 287 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): about 38 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on January 1 and the first on December 27. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on February 28 and first on December 2. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
Planting calendar for Menifee
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
Frost doesn't come every year here: about 91 years in 100 have at least one freezing night. The calendar is built on the dates for the years that do.
We don't give a garlic date here. The rule we use, from the University of Minnesota Extension, counts from the first killing frost, and it works where a hard freeze comes every year before the ground freezes. Your county's extension office can tell you when to plant garlic in your climate.
Your typical last frost comes before mid-February. Where winters are this mild, summer heat limits the garden as much as frost does, and most planting happens in fall and late winter. Your county's extension office publishes a calendar made for your climate.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 14 to 28 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 14 to 28 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 28 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| February | ||
| February 11 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| February 11 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| July | ||
| July 23 to August 6 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 10 |
| August | ||
| August 12 to 26 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 30 |
| September | ||
| September 21 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| September 25 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 26 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| September 30 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 1 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| October 5 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 15 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 25 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 4 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November 12 to December 10 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| November 26 to December 24 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| December | ||
| December 1 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| December 10 to 31 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| December 17 to 31 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| December 24 to January 7 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| December 31 to January 14 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| December 31 to January 14 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 30 days later. That plans around February 27, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Elsinore (station USC00042805), 9 miles from the center of Menifee. It sits 180 feet lower, at 1,270 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as representative: at least 10 of the 30 years, with the gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Perris, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar and Canyon Lake.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 11 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 92530, 92532, 92563, 92570, 92584, 92586, 92587, 92595, 92676, 92678, 92679. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Temecula, California: frost not every year (15 miles away)
- Riverside, California: frost not every year (20 miles away)
- San Bernardino, California: frost not every year (30 miles away)
See frost dates across California, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.