Fall in zone 9aPhoto: George Chernilevsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Frost dates for ZIP 93254 (New Cuyama, CA)
Average last spring and first fall frost dates with 10%, 50% and 90% odds, from NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the nearest weather station, New Cuyama Fire STN, CA (7 miles away).
- Average last spring frostApr 1550% chance of a 32°F freeze after this date
- Average first fall frostNov 450% chance of a 32°F freeze by this date
- Growing season (frost-free)201 daysmedian, 32°F threshold
- USDA hardiness zone9a20 to 25°F avg. coldest night
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This week in your yard
As of Oct 18, 2026, from your frost dates, zone and soil temperature. Lawn timing · Vegetables · Pruning · Plants
Soil temperature now
2-inch depth
74°F 55°F or warmer
24-hour average · latest 69°F, as of Oct 18, 2:00 AM CDT
Estimate Not a measurement at this ZIP: distance-weighted average of Cochora Ranch (17 mi), Stubblefield (18 mi), Santa Barbara 11 W (37 mi).
4-inch depth
74°F 55°F or warmer
24-hour average · latest 75°F, as of Oct 18, 2:00 AM CDT
Estimate Not a measurement at this ZIP: distance-weighted average of Cochora Ranch (17 mi), Stubblefield (18 mi), Santa Barbara 11 W (37 mi).
Fall: Texas A&M AgriLife times fall pre-emergent (for winter weeds such as annual bluegrass) to soil cooling to about 70°F for several days. The 50–55°F band is the spring trigger. Always read and follow the product label.
7-day forecast and frost risk
The latest National Weather Service 7-day forecast and any Frost Advisory or Freeze Warning for 93254 load here. You can also open the NWS forecast for this ZIP.
Pre-emergent
Soil is 74°F at 4 inches (estimated soil temperature, not a station reading). Fall pre-emergent (annual bluegrass, winter weeds): window open as soil cools through the 70s and 60s.
Fertilizer window
Lawn region: California coastal and valleys. Timing only; always follow the product label.
- Bermudagrass (warm-season): Spring: Several weeks after the lawn is fully green (April–May) (about May 31 here, using green-up about 3–4 weeks after your average last frost); Summer: Every 4–6 weeks through mid-August (heaviest feeder of the group); Late: Light, low-nitrogen/high-potassium feeding about 4 weeks before first frost, or skip. Avoid: Heavy late-fall nitrogen (linked to spring dead spot).
- Tall fescue (cool-season): Early fall: September (main feeding); Late fall: November, while still green; Late winter: Optional light feeding February–March. Avoid: Feeding after mid-spring and through summer in the transition zone (stress and brown patch).
Plant now
Prune now
No frost-timed pruning windows are open this week.
Your average first frost is Nov 4: skip heavy pruning in the 6–8 weeks before it, because new growth may not harden off in time.
Spring-flowering shrubs are pruned right after their flowers fade, not by date. See the pruning guide.
Last spring frost odds
| Chance of a 32°F freeze after this date | Date |
|---|---|
| 90% (early: most years still freeze after this) | Mar 22 |
| 50% (the "average" last frost) | Apr 15 |
| 10% (cautious: only 1 year in 10 freezes later) | May 3 |
Most gardeners plant frost-tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, basil) after the 50% date, and closer to the 10% date for less risk.
First fall frost odds
| Chance the first 32°F freeze has happened by this date | Date |
|---|---|
| 10% (early: 1 year in 10 freezes this soon) | Oct 18 |
| 50% (the "average" first frost) | Nov 4 |
| 90% (late: most years have frozen by now) | Nov 22 |
Light frost, freeze and hard freeze
| Threshold | Last spring (50%) | First fall (50%) |
|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost possible on clear, calm nights) | May 3 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 15 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | Mar 17 | Nov 19 |
n/a means NOAA did not publish a date at that threshold for this station (usually because it rarely gets that cold).
Vegetable planting calendar for 93254
Dates count from your average last spring frost (Apr 15) and first fall frost (Nov 4). Half of years have a frost after the spring date, so give tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, squash) some slack.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring planting | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 18–Mar 4 | Apr 22–May 6 (transplant) | – |
| Pepper (sweet and hot) | Feb 4–18 | Apr 29–May 13 (transplant) | – |
| Eggplant | Feb 4–18 | Apr 29–May 13 (transplant) | – |
| Tomatillo | Feb 18–Mar 4 | Apr 22–May 6 (transplant) | – |
| Lettuce | Feb 18–Mar 4 | Mar 25–Apr 15 (transplant) Mar 18–Apr 29 (sow outdoors) | Sep 9–30 (transplant) Aug 26–Sep 23 (sowing) |
| Spinach | – | Mar 4–25 (sow outdoors) | Sep 9–30 (sowing) |
| Kale | Feb 18–Mar 4 | Mar 18–Apr 1 (transplant) Mar 18–Apr 1 (sow outdoors) | Aug 12–Sep 9 (transplant) Jul 29–Aug 26 (sowing) |
| Collards | Feb 18–Mar 4 | Mar 18–Apr 15 (transplant) Mar 18–Apr 15 (sow outdoors) | Aug 12–Sep 9 (transplant) Jul 29–Aug 26 (sowing) |
| Broccoli | Feb 4–18 | Mar 18–Apr 1 (transplant) | Jul 29–Aug 26 (transplant) |
| Cabbage | Feb 4–18 | Mar 18–Apr 1 (transplant) | Jul 29–Aug 26 (transplant) |
| Cauliflower | Feb 4–18 | Apr 1–15 (transplant) | Jul 29–Aug 26 (transplant) |
| Brussels sprouts | Jan 21–Feb 4 | Mar 18–Apr 1 (transplant) | Jul 15–Aug 5 (transplant) |
| Kohlrabi | Feb 18–Mar 4 | Mar 18–Apr 1 (transplant) Mar 18–Apr 1 (sow outdoors) | Aug 26–Sep 9 (sowing) |
| Bok choy / Asian greens | – | Mar 18–Apr 1 (sow outdoors) | Sep 9–23 (sowing) |
| Arugula | – | Mar 18–Apr 15 (sow outdoors) | Sep 9–Oct 7 (sowing) |
| Mustard greens | – | Mar 18–Apr 8 (sow outdoors) | Sep 9–23 (sowing) |
| Swiss chard | Mar 4–18 | Apr 1–22 (transplant) Apr 1–29 (sow outdoors) | Aug 26–Sep 9 (sowing) |
| Beet | – | Mar 18–Apr 15 (sow outdoors) | Aug 26–Sep 9 (sowing) |
| Carrot | – | Mar 25–Apr 22 (sow outdoors) | Aug 12–26 (sowing) |
| Radish | – | Mar 11–Apr 22 (sow outdoors) | Sep 23–Oct 7 (sowing) |
| Turnip | – | Mar 18–Apr 8 (sow outdoors) | Aug 26–Sep 9 (sowing) |
| Parsnip | – | Mar 25–Apr 15 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Pea (garden, snap, snow) | – | Feb 18–Mar 18 (sow outdoors) | Aug 12–26 (sowing) |
| Onion (bulbing) | Jan 21–Feb 4 | Mar 4–18 (transplant) | – |
| Green onion / scallion | – | Mar 4–Apr 1 (sow outdoors) | Aug 26–Sep 9 (sowing) |
| Leek | Jan 21–Feb 4 | Mar 18–Apr 1 (transplant) | – |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 23–Oct 21 (sowing) |
| Shallot | – | Mar 4–18 (transplant) | Sep 23–Oct 21 (sowing) |
| Potato | – | Mar 18–Apr 1 (transplant) | Jul 15–29 (transplant) |
| Sweet potato | – | May 6–20 (transplant) | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 22–May 6 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Bean, bush (snap) | – | Apr 22–May 6 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Bean, pole | – | Apr 22–May 6 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Lima bean | – | Apr 29–May 13 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Southern pea (cowpea, black-eyed pea) | – | May 6–27 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cucumber | Mar 18–25 | Apr 22–May 6 (transplant) Apr 22–May 6 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Mar 18–25 | Apr 22–May 6 (transplant) Apr 22–May 6 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Winter squash | Mar 18–25 | Apr 22–May 6 (transplant) Apr 22–May 6 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Pumpkin | – | Apr 22–May 6 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Watermelon | Mar 18–25 | Apr 29–May 13 (transplant) Apr 29–May 13 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cantaloupe / muskmelon | Mar 18–25 | Apr 29–May 13 (transplant) Apr 29–May 13 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Okra | Mar 4–18 | Apr 29–May 13 (transplant) Apr 29–May 13 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Celery | Jan 21–Feb 4 | Apr 22–29 (transplant) | – |
| Basil | Mar 4–18 | Apr 22–May 6 (transplant) Apr 22–May 6 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cilantro | – | Apr 1–29 (sow outdoors) | Sep 9–23 (sowing) |
| Parsley | Feb 4–18 | Apr 1–15 (transplant) Mar 25–Apr 15 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Dill | – | Apr 15–29 (sow outdoors) | Sep 9–23 (sowing) |
| Sunflower | – | Apr 15–29 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Asparagus (crowns) | – | Mar 18–Apr 1 (transplant) | – |
| Rhubarb (crowns) | – | Mar 18–Apr 1 (transplant) | – |
| Strawberry (plants) | – | Mar 18–Apr 1 (transplant) | Aug 26–Sep 23 (transplant) |
Typical ranges from university extension planting calendars, adjusted to your frost dates. Probabilities, not guarantees. Fall windows that would overlap spring planting are left out, as are fall crops of frost-tender plants where the frost-free season is under 210 days.
Where these numbers come from
Station: New Cuyama Fire STN, CA (NOAA GHCN-Daily ID USC00046154), elevation 2,160 ft, 6.8 miles from the ZIP's center point. NOAA completeness flag: R (representative, 10+ years).
Nearby stations
| Station | Distance | Last frost (50%) | First frost (50%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taft, CA | 25 mi | Jan 24 | Dec 17 |
| Cachuma Lake, CA | 27 mi | Apr 11 | Nov 8 |
| Twitchell Dam, CA | 30 mi | Feb 4 | Dec 4 |
The average last-frost dates of these stations span 84 days, a rough guide to local variation. See data sources & methods.
Frost questions for 93254
When is the last frost in 93254?
The average (50% chance) last spring freeze of 32°F for ZIP 93254 is April 15. For a more cautious planting date, use May 3, when only 1 year in 10 still sees a later freeze.
When is the first frost in 93254?
The average first fall freeze is November 4. In 1 year in 10 it comes by October 18.
What hardiness zone is 93254?
ZIP 93254 is in USDA zone 9a (20 to 25°F average coldest winter night), per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP listing.
What is the soil temperature in 93254 right now?
This page shows the latest 2-inch and 4-inch soil temperature from the nearest public soil station (USDA SCAN, NOAA USCRN or TexMesonet), or a labeled estimate when no station is close, against the 50–55°F spring pre-emergent band.
Nearby ZIP codes
93460 Santa Ynez 93441 Los Olivos 93224 Derby Acres 93454 Sisquoc 93268 Taft 93252 Maricopa 93440 Los Alamos 93105 Mission Canyon
Other ZIP codes in Santa Barbara County
93013 93067 93101 93103 93105 93106 93108 93109 93110 93111 93117 93427 93429 93434 93436 93437 93440 93441 93454 93455 93458 93460 93463 All Santa Barbara County frost dates · California frost dates
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Weekly yard timing, plus frost and soil-temperature alerts for your ZIP code.
- Freeze alerts
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Free. One weekly email plus alerts when your ZIP has a frost or a soil-temperature change worth acting on. After you submit, Kit (our email provider) sends a confirmation email: check your email and click the link to confirm. You aren't subscribed until you do. We collect only your email address and ZIP, sent to Kit to deliver The Dial. Unsubscribe anytime.