Menifee, California: planting zone & frost dates
Menifee is in USDA plant hardiness zone 9b, where the average coldest winter night reaches 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C). The typical last spring frost is around Feb 10 and the first fall frost around Dec 10.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Feb 27 | Dec 1 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Feb 10 | Dec 10 |
| Median (50%) | Jan 28 | Dec 18 |
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 ELSINORE, CA (USC00042805), 9.3 mi (14.9 km) from the city center and 154 ft lower than the city center (-47 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 19 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Menifee
All 4 ZIP codes covering Menifee are in zone 9b.
Vegetable planting calendar for Menifee
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Feb 10, first frost Dec 10). 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 16 – Dec 30 | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | — | — |
| Pepper | Dec 2 – Dec 16 | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | — | — |
| Lettuce Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | Dec 30 – Jan 13 | Jan 27 – Feb 17 | Jan 13 – Feb 24 | Oct 1 – Oct 29 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Feb 17 – Mar 24 | Sep 17 – Oct 1 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Feb 17 – Mar 17 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Jan 13 – Jan 20 | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Feb 17 – Mar 10 | Sep 17 – Oct 1 |
| Cucumber | Jan 13 – Jan 20 | Feb 24 – Mar 3 | Feb 17 – Mar 10 | Sep 17 – Oct 1 |
| Carrot Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | — | Jan 20 – Feb 24 | Sep 17 – Oct 1 |
| Onion Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | Nov 18 – Dec 2 | Jan 13 – Jan 27 | — | — |
| Potato Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | Jan 13 – Feb 3 | — | — |
| Basil | Dec 30 – Jan 13 | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Feb 24 – Mar 17 | — |
| Spinach Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | — | Dec 30 – Jan 27 | Oct 15 – Nov 12 |
| Kale Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | Dec 16 – Dec 30 | Jan 13 – Feb 3 | Jan 13 – Feb 3 | Oct 1 – Oct 29 |
| Broccoli Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | Dec 16 – Dec 30 | Jan 27 – Feb 17 | — | Sep 17 – Oct 1 |
| Peas Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | — | Dec 30 – Jan 20 | Oct 1 – Oct 15 |
| Eggplant | Dec 2 – Dec 16 | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | — | — |
| Cabbage Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | Dec 16 – Dec 30 | Jan 13 – Jan 27 | — | Sep 17 – Oct 1 |
| Radish Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | — | Jan 6 – Feb 24 | Oct 29 – Nov 26 |
| Strawberry | — | Jan 13 – Feb 3 | — | — |
| Beets Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | — | Jan 20 – Mar 3 | Oct 1 – Oct 15 |
Nearby cities in California
- Perris — zone 9b, last frost Feb 10, first frost Dec 10
- Murrieta — zone 10a, last frost Feb 14, first frost Jan 3
- Hemet — zone 9b, last frost Feb 14, first frost Dec 2
- Temecula — zone 9b, last frost Feb 14, first frost Jan 3
- Moreno Valley — zone 9b, last frost Feb 10, first frost Dec 11
- Riverside — zone 10a, last frost Jan 25, first frost Dec 15
More: all California cities · other zone 9b cities: Houston, TX, Phoenix, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, San Jose, CA, Fresno, CA, Sacramento, CA, Mesa, AZ, Bakersfield, CA
Menifee gardening questions
When is the last frost in Menifee, CA?
Plan around Feb 10. At NOAA's Elsinore, CA station, 9.3 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 28, and after Feb 27 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Jan 1. Springs here are erratic: 65 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 Menifee, CA?
Start seeds indoors Dec 16 – Dec 30 and set transplants outside Feb 17 – Mar 3, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. With about 303 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 Menifee?
About 329 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 287 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 361 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Dec 1 and a 30% chance by Dec 10. That ranks 57th longest of 84 California cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Menifee?
Count back from the first fall frost (Dec 10): transplant broccoli Sep 17 – Oct 1; sow kale Oct 1 – Oct 29; sow lettuce Oct 1 – Oct 29; sow radishes Oct 29 – Nov 26. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Dec 27. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Menifee's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Menifee was zone 9a on the 2012 map and is zone 9b 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.
How does Menifee compare with Murrieta, CA?
Menifee is zone 9b and Murrieta is zone 10a. The typical last spring frost in Menifee (Feb 10) comes about 4 days earlier than in Murrieta, CA (Feb 14), 8 miles away, and the first fall frost is Dec 10 versus Jan 3. Menifee sits about 184 ft higher, which explains part of the gap. The two cities use different NOAA stations.