Big Bear Lake, CA 92356 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Big Bear Lake, CA?
Around 05/27 is the usual last spring frost, about 272 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/04, about 131 frost-free days later.
Zone 8b (15 to 20°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 Big Bear Lake, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Big Bear Lake before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/27 isn't a guarantee
05/27 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/06 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/09 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Big Bear Lake compares
About 131 days separate Big Bear Lake's last and first frost, putting it 38,269 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within CA, it ranks 2,463 of 2,555.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Big Bear Lake's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Big Bear Lake can differ from the 92356 normal.