Frost dates for Menifee, 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 28
typical year
Safe to plant
February 27
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 18
typical year
Growing season
329 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 31 – Jan 14 | – |
| Spinach | – | Dec 17 – Jan 7 | Oct 23 – Nov 6 |
| Lettuce | – | Dec 31 – Jan 21 | Oct 23 – Nov 6 |
| Radishes | – | Dec 31 – Feb 11 | Nov 6 – 20 |
| Onions | – | Dec 31 – Jan 14 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Jan 7 – 21 | – |
| Carrots | – | Jan 7 – 28 | Sep 25 – Oct 9 |
| Beets | – | Dec 31 – Jan 14 | Oct 9 – 23 |
| Kale | Nov 19 – Dec 3 | Dec 31 – Jan 14 | Oct 9 – 23 |
| Broccoli | Nov 19 – Dec 3 | Jan 14 – 28 | Oct 9 – 23 |
| Cabbage | Nov 5 – 19 | Dec 31 – Jan 14 | Oct 9 – 23 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 6 – 27 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 2 – 16 | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | – |
| Peppers | Dec 26 – Jan 9 | Mar 6 – 20 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Feb 27 – Mar 20 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Feb 27 – Mar 27 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Feb 27 – Mar 20 | – |
| Green beans | – | Feb 27 – Oct 9 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Feb 27 – Mar 27 | – |
| Basil | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Mar 6 – 13 | – |
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 27 | January 28 | December 24 |
| Fall frost before | December 1 | December 18 | January 24 |
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 9 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 27.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 5 towns.
Menifee, Perris, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Canyon Lake
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station ELSINORE, CA US (USC00042805), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 11 zip codes, all within 11 miles:
92530, 92532, 92562, 92570, 92584, 92585, 92586, 92587, 92595, 92678, 92883
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.