Frost dates for El Centro, CA
When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.
Last spring frost
January 3
typical year
Safe to plant
February 4
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 27
typical year
Growing season
363 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Dec 6 – 20 | – |
| Spinach | – | Nov 22 – Dec 13 | Nov 1 – 15 |
| Lettuce | – | Dec 6 – 27 | Nov 1 – 15 |
| Radishes | – | Dec 6 – Jan 17 | Nov 15 – 29 |
| Onions | – | Dec 6 – 20 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Dec 13 – 27 | – |
| Carrots | – | Dec 13 – Jan 3 | Oct 4 – 18 |
| Beets | – | Dec 6 – 20 | Oct 18 – Nov 1 |
| Kale | Oct 25 – Nov 8 | Dec 6 – 20 | Oct 18 – Nov 1 |
| Broccoli | Oct 25 – Nov 8 | Dec 20 – Jan 3 | Oct 18 – Nov 1 |
| Cabbage | Oct 11 – 25 | Dec 6 – 20 | Oct 18 – Nov 1 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 15 – Dec 6 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Dec 10 – 24 | Feb 4 – 18 | – |
| Peppers | Dec 3 – 17 | Feb 11 – 25 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Feb 4 – 25 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Feb 4 – Mar 4 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Feb 4 – 25 | – |
| Green beans | – | Feb 4 – Oct 18 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Feb 4 – Mar 4 | – |
| Basil | Dec 31 – Jan 14 | Feb 11 – 18 | – |
Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.
The year at a glance
Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting
The chance of frost, by date
| 1 year in 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | February 4 | January 3 | December 15 |
| Fall frost before | December 9 | December 27 | January 26 |
Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.
Hard freeze (28°F)
A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around January 1 (February 4 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 31.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 4 towns.
El Centro, Calexico, Imperial, Holtville
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station EL CENTRO 2 SSW, CA US (USC00042713), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 4 zip codes, all within 26 miles:
92231, 92243, 92249, 92250
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.