Coachella, CA 92513 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Coachella, 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.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Coachella in Zone 10a (30 to 35°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 17 weeks of growing season left in Coachella 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 Coachella compares
About 365 days separate Coachella's last and first frost, putting it 933 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within CA, it ranks 385 of 2,555.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Coachella can differ from the 92513 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 10a and Coachella's frost date answer different questions.