Frost dates for Santa Maria, 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
February 4
typical year
Safe to plant
March 16
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 13
typical year
Growing season
315 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 | – | Jan 7 – 21 | – |
| Spinach | – | Dec 24 – Jan 14 | Oct 18 – Nov 1 |
| Lettuce | – | Jan 7 – 28 | Oct 18 – Nov 1 |
| Radishes | – | Jan 7 – Feb 18 | Nov 1 – 15 |
| Onions | – | Jan 7 – 21 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Jan 14 – 28 | – |
| Carrots | – | Jan 14 – Feb 4 | Sep 20 – Oct 4 |
| Beets | – | Jan 7 – 21 | Oct 4 – 18 |
| Kale | Nov 26 – Dec 10 | Jan 7 – 21 | Oct 4 – 18 |
| Broccoli | Nov 26 – Dec 10 | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Oct 4 – 18 |
| Cabbage | Nov 12 – 26 | Jan 7 – 21 | Oct 4 – 18 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 1 – 22 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 19 – Feb 2 | Mar 16 – 30 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 12 – 26 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Mar 16 – Apr 6 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Mar 16 – Apr 13 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Mar 16 – Apr 6 | – |
| Green beans | – | Mar 16 – Oct 4 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 16 – Apr 13 | – |
| Basil | Feb 9 – 23 | Mar 23 – 30 | – |
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 | March 16 | February 4 | December 29 |
| Fall frost before | November 21 | December 13 | January 10 |
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 5 (February 8 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 2 towns.
Santa Maria, Guadalupe
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station SANTA MARIA PUBLIC AP, CA US (USW00023273), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 5 zip codes, all within 10 miles:
93429, 93434, 93444, 93455, 93458
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.