Santa Clarita, California: planting zone & frost dates
Santa Clarita is in USDA plant hardiness zone 10a, where the average coldest winter night reaches 30 to 35°F (-1.1 to 1.7°C). The typical last spring frost is around Jan 26 and the first fall frost around Dec 20.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Mar 10 | Nov 30 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Jan 26 | Dec 20 |
| Median (50%) | Jan 8 | Jan 1 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station NEWHALL 5NW, CA (USC00046161), 5.5 mi (8.9 km) from the city center and 459 ft higher than the city center (+140 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 16 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 7 ZIP codes): 10a (72%), 9b (28%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Santa Clarita
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Jan 26, first frost Dec 20). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Dec 1 – Dec 15 | Feb 2 – Feb 16 | — | — |
| Pepper | Nov 17 – Dec 1 | Feb 9 – Feb 23 | — | — |
| Lettuce Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | Dec 15 – Dec 29 | Jan 12 – Feb 2 | Dec 29 – Feb 9 | Oct 11 – Nov 8 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Feb 2 – Mar 9 | Sep 27 – Oct 11 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Feb 2 – Mar 2 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Dec 29 – Jan 5 | Feb 2 – Feb 16 | Feb 2 – Feb 23 | Sep 27 – Oct 11 |
| Cucumber | Dec 29 – Jan 5 | Feb 9 – Feb 16 | Feb 2 – Feb 23 | Sep 27 – Oct 11 |
| Carrot Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | — | Jan 5 – Feb 9 | Sep 27 – Oct 11 |
| Onion Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | Nov 3 – Nov 17 | Dec 29 – Jan 12 | — | — |
| Potato Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | Dec 29 – Jan 19 | — | — |
| Basil | Dec 15 – Dec 29 | Feb 9 – Feb 23 | Feb 9 – Mar 2 | — |
| Spinach Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | — | Dec 15 – Jan 12 | Oct 25 – Nov 22 |
| Kale Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | Dec 1 – Dec 15 | Dec 29 – Jan 19 | Dec 29 – Jan 19 | Oct 11 – Nov 8 |
| Broccoli Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | Dec 1 – Dec 15 | Jan 12 – Feb 2 | — | Sep 27 – Oct 11 |
| Peas Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | — | Dec 15 – Jan 5 | Oct 11 – Oct 25 |
| Eggplant | Nov 17 – Dec 1 | Feb 9 – Feb 23 | — | — |
| Cabbage Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | Dec 1 – Dec 15 | Dec 29 – Jan 12 | — | Sep 27 – Oct 11 |
| Radish Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | — | Dec 22 – Feb 9 | Nov 8 – Dec 6 |
| Strawberry | — | Dec 29 – Jan 19 | — | — |
| Beets Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | — | Jan 5 – Feb 16 | Oct 11 – Oct 25 |
Nearby cities in California
- Burbank — zone 10a, last frost Jan 10, first frost Dec 16
- Simi Valley — zone 10a, last frost Feb 12, first frost Dec 6
- Glendale — zone 10a, last frost Jan 14, first frost Jan 1
- Santa Monica — zone 11a, frost rare
- Los Angeles — zone 10a, frost rare
- Lancaster — zone 8b, last frost Apr 11, first frost Oct 27
More: all California cities · other zone 10a cities: Los Angeles, CA, Oakland, CA, Tampa, FL, Orlando, FL, Riverside, CA, Corpus Christi, TX, Port St. Lucie, FL, Scottsdale, AZ
Santa Clarita gardening questions
When is the last frost in Santa Clarita, CA?
Plan around Jan 26. At NOAA's Newhall 5NW, CA station, 5.5 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Jan 8, and after Mar 10 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. Springs here are erratic: 92 days separate the 90% and 10% dates, versus a median of 36 days for cities on this site, so watch the forecast rather than the calendar.
When should I plant tomatoes in Santa Clarita, CA?
Start seeds indoors Dec 1 – Dec 15 and set transplants outside Feb 2 – Feb 16, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. With about 328 frost-free days, frost is not the main limit — fruit set drops when nights stay above about 75°F, so early plantings tend to do best. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Santa Clarita?
About 365 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 329 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 365 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Nov 30 and a 30% chance by Dec 20. That ranks 3rd longest of 84 California cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Santa Clarita?
Count back from the first fall frost (Dec 20): transplant broccoli Sep 27 – Oct 11; sow kale Oct 11 – Nov 8; sow lettuce Oct 11 – Nov 8; sow radishes Nov 8 – Dec 6. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Santa Clarita's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Santa Clarita was zone 9b on the 2012 map and is zone 10a on the 2023 map — half a zone warmer, like about 56% of U.S. ZIP codes. The shift comes from a newer 1991–2020 averaging period plus more weather stations and better mapping; it does not mean last frost comes earlier. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
Is all of Santa Clarita in zone 10a?
No. Zone 10a covers about 72% of the city's land; the rest is in 9b (28%), measured across the city's 7 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.