Coachella, CA 92517 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.
Coachella sits in USDA Zone 10a (30 to 35°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a 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
Coachella's growing season runs about 365 days, ranking 936 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within CA, it ranks 388 of 2,555.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Coachella's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Coachella can differ from the 92517 normal.