Frost dates for Salinas, California
Salinas doesn't get a freezing night every winter: about 90 years in 100 have one. In those years, half have had their last frost by January 29 and half their first by December 10.
Frost dates for
Salinas, California
Last spring frost
January 29
Not every winter has one: about 90 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 March 1.
First fall frost
December 10
In years with a freeze, half have their first one by this date, and 1 in 10 by November 21.
Growing season
325 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 281.
Hardiness zone
9b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 25°F to 30°F. It was 9b on the 2012 map too. All 6 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 9b.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Salinas Municipal Airport (2 miles away, at 80 feet above sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of January 29 and a typical first frost of December 10. NOAA's Monterey Peninsul Airport (15 miles away, at 160 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of January 2 and a typical first frost of December 23. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from January 2 to 29 and the typical first frost from December 10 to 23, depending on whether your garden is more like one or the other. Local terrain matters: hillsides, valley floors, water and city heat can change frost dates a lot over a few miles. Treat the dates here as a starting point, and compare with a nearby gardener or your county extension office.
Print a year planner for Salinas
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 18 | January 29 | March 1 |
| First frost in fall | November 21 | December 10 | January 15 |
The frost-free season between them runs 325 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 364 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 281 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): about 36 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on December 31 and the first on December 25. 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 March 9 and first on November 23. 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 Salinas
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 90 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 1 to 15 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 1 to 15 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 15 to 29 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 15 to 29 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 29 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| February | ||
| February 12 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| February 12 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| July | ||
| July 15 to 29 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 2 |
| August | ||
| August 4 to 18 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 22 |
| September | ||
| September 13 | 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 17 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 18 | 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 22 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 23 | 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 |
| September 27 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 7 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 17 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 27 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 13 to December 11 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| November 21 | 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 |
| November 27 to December 25 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| December | ||
| December 11 to January 1 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| December 18 to January 1 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| December 25 to January 8 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 31 days later. That plans around March 1, 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 Salinas Municipal Airport (station USW00023233), 2 miles from the center of Salinas. It sits at about the same elevation, 80 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Soledad.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 5 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 93901, 93905, 93906, 93908, 93925. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- San Jose, California: frost not every year (45 miles away)
- Fremont, California: frost not every year (60 miles away)
- Hayward, California: frost not every year (70 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.