Carpinteria, CA 93013 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Carpinteria, CA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 01/13, about 138 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 01/06, about 365 frost-free days later.
Zone 10b (35 to 40°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 Carpinteria, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 19 weeks of growing season left in Carpinteria before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
01/13 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/24 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 12/12 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Carpinteria compares
Carpinteria's growing season runs about 365 days, ranking 1,687 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within CA, it ranks 821 of 2,555.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Carpinteria can differ from the 93013 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 10b and Carpinteria's frost date answer different questions.