Frost dates for Salinas Municipal Airport, CA
At Salinas Municipal Airport, the median last spring frost (32°F) is Jan 29 and the median first fall frost is Dec 10, for a typical growing season of 325 days. For a 90% chance that the last frost has passed, wait until Mar 1. Nearby ZIP codes are in USDA hardiness zone 9b.
- Jan 29Last spring frost (median)50% chance of 32°F after this date
- Mar 1Safer planting date10% chance of 32°F after this date
- Dec 10First fall frost (median)50% chance of 32°F by this date
- 325 daysGrowing season (median)between 32°F freezes
Last spring frost dates
The chance that the temperature drops to the threshold after each date.
| Temperature | 90% chance later | 50% chance later | 10% chance later |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 2 | Mar 9 | Apr 8 |
| 32°F | Dec 18 | Jan 29 | Mar 1 |
| 28°F | Dec 6 | Dec 31 | Jan 31 |
First fall frost dates
The chance that the temperature has dropped to the threshold by each date.
| Temperature | 10% chance by | 50% chance by | 90% chance by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 4 | Nov 23 | Dec 14 |
| 32°F | Nov 21 | Dec 10 | Jan 15 |
| 28°F | Dec 1 | Dec 25 | Jan 20 |
Growing season length
Days between the last spring and first fall freeze, as the length reached in 9, 5 and 1 out of 10 years.
| Temperature | 9 in 10 years at least | 5 in 10 years at least | 1 in 10 years at least |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 217 days | 257 days | 297 days |
| 32°F | 281 days | 325 days | 364 days |
| 28°F | 336 days | 365 days | 365 days |
| 24°F | 365 days | 365 days | 365 days |
Chance of a freeze in any year
| Temperature | Chance per year |
|---|---|
| 36°F | 100% |
| 32°F | 90% |
| 28°F | 36% |
| 24°F | 4% |
ZIP codes whose closest station is this one
| ZIP | Hardiness zone | Avg. extreme low | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93905 | 9b | 25 to 30°F | 2 km |
| 93901 | 9b | 25 to 30°F | 3 km |
| 93908 | 9b | 25 to 30°F | 4 km |
| 93906 | 9b | 25 to 30°F | 7 km |
Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones shown here are the values published in the USDA-ARS / Oregon State University PRISM Group 2023 ZIP code tables, shown unaltered. For the official interactive map, visit planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.
About this station
- NOAA station ID USW00023233, at 36.6636, -121.6081, elevation 23 m (74 ft).
- Data quality: Standard (24+ years of data), 27 years of freeze data.
- Average days per year at or below 32°F: 6.
- Frost risk changes over short distances. Valleys and low spots freeze earlier than hillsides and city centers.
Nearby weather stations
- Salinas #2 (5 km)
- Monterey Peninsul Airport (23 km)
- Carmel Valley (23 km)
- Monterey WFO (23 km)
- Paicines 4 W (24 km)
- Hollister 2 (26 km)
- Monterey (28 km)
- Watsonville Wtr Wks (33 km)
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal normals by station (version 1.0.1), file dated June 27, 2023; documentation.
- USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP code tables (CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico), files dated November 17, 2023. Data © PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed November 1, 2026. Official map: planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer ZIP Code Tabulation Areas file, dated August 30, 2024 (ZIP centroids used to find the nearest station).
Freeze dates are 30-year probabilities, not forecasts. Check your local forecast before planting tender plants.