Goleta, CA 93130 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Goleta, CA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 12/31, about 125 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 12/20, about 365 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Goleta in Zone 10b (35 to 40°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 16 weeks of growing season left in Goleta 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
12/31 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 01/29 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 12/08 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Goleta compares
Goleta's growing season runs about 365 days, ranking 1,040 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within CA, it ranks 453 of 2,555.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 10b and Goleta's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Goleta's dates instead of trusting one.