Monterey, CA 93944 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Monterey, CA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 01/01, roughly 126 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 12/30, about 365 frost-free days later.
Monterey 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 18 weeks of growing season left in Monterey 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
01/01 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. 12/11 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Monterey compares
Monterey's growing season runs about 365 days, ranking 1,134 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within CA, it ranks 484 of 2,555.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 10a and Monterey's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Monterey's dates instead of trusting one.