Rancho Mirage, CA 92561 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Rancho Mirage, CA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/16, about 261 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/24, about 160 frost-free days later.
Rancho Mirage sits in USDA Zone 8b (15 to 20°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 8 weeks of growing season left in Rancho Mirage before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/16 isn't a guarantee
05/16 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/23 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/05 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Rancho Mirage compares
Rancho Mirage's growing season runs about 160 days, ranking 32,252 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within CA, it ranks 2,416 of 2,555.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8b and Rancho Mirage's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Rancho Mirage's dates instead of trusting one.