Indian Wells, CA 92253 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Indian Wells, CA?
Around 12/31 is the usual last spring frost, about 125 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 12/27, about 365 frost-free days later.
Zone 10a (30 to 35°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Indian Wells, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 17 weeks of growing season left in Indian Wells before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 12/31 isn't a guarantee
12/31 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 01/21 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 12/10 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Indian Wells compares
About 365 days separate Indian Wells's last and first frost, putting it 1,890 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within CA, it ranks 874 of 2,555.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Indian Wells's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Indian Wells can differ from the 92253 normal.