Frost dates for San Diego, 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 6
typical year
Safe to plant
February 7
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 21
typical year
Growing season
350 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 9 – 23 | – |
| Spinach | – | Nov 25 – Dec 16 | Oct 26 – Nov 9 |
| Lettuce | – | Dec 9 – 30 | Oct 26 – Nov 9 |
| Radishes | – | Dec 9 – Jan 20 | Nov 9 – 23 |
| Onions | – | Dec 9 – 23 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Dec 16 – 30 | – |
| Carrots | – | Dec 16 – Jan 6 | Sep 28 – Oct 12 |
| Beets | – | Dec 9 – 23 | Oct 12 – 26 |
| Kale | Oct 28 – Nov 11 | Dec 9 – 23 | Oct 12 – 26 |
| Broccoli | Oct 28 – Nov 11 | Dec 23 – Jan 6 | Oct 12 – 26 |
| Cabbage | Oct 14 – 28 | Dec 9 – 23 | Oct 12 – 26 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 9 – 30 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Dec 13 – 27 | Feb 7 – 21 | – |
| Peppers | Dec 6 – 20 | Feb 14 – 28 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Feb 7 – 28 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Feb 7 – Mar 7 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Feb 7 – 28 | – |
| Green beans | – | Feb 7 – Oct 12 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Feb 7 – Mar 7 | – |
| Basil | Jan 3 – 17 | Feb 14 – 21 | – |
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 7 | January 6 | December 13 |
| Fall frost before | December 1 | December 21 | January 15 |
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 December 31 (January 15 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 30.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 5 towns.
San Diego, El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee, Lemon Grove
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station EL CAJON, CA US (USC00042706), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 28 zip codes, all within 19 miles:
91941, 91942, 91945, 91977, 91978, 92019, 92020, 92021, 92071, 92102, 92103, 92104, 92105, 92107, 92108, 92109, 92110, 92111, 92114, 92115, 92116, 92119, 92120, 92123, 92124, 92134, 92140, 92182
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.