Palmdale, California: planting zone & frost dates
Palmdale is in USDA plant hardiness zone 9a, where the average coldest winter night reaches 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C). The typical last spring frost is around Mar 27 and the first fall frost around Nov 12.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Apr 11 | Nov 3 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Mar 27 | Nov 12 |
| Median (50%) | Mar 10 | Nov 19 |
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 PALMDALE, CA (USC00046624), 0.7 mi (1.1 km) from the city center and about the same elevation as the city center (+0 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 24 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Palmdale
Palmdale spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 6 ZIP codes): 9a (69%), 8b (31%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
Vegetable planting calendar for Palmdale
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Mar 27, first frost Nov 12). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | — | — |
| Pepper | Jan 16 – Jan 30 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | Feb 27 – Apr 10 | Sep 3 – Oct 1 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Apr 3 – May 8 | Aug 20 – Sep 3 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Apr 3 – May 1 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Feb 27 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Aug 20 – Sep 3 |
| Cucumber | Feb 27 – Mar 6 | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Aug 20 – Sep 3 |
| Carrot | — | — | Mar 6 – Apr 10 | Aug 20 – Sep 3 |
| Onion | Jan 2 – Jan 16 | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Feb 27 – Mar 20 | — | — |
| Basil | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | Apr 10 – May 1 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Feb 13 – Mar 13 | Sep 17 – Oct 15 |
| Kale | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Feb 27 – Mar 20 | Feb 27 – Mar 20 | Sep 3 – Oct 1 |
| Broccoli | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | — | Aug 20 – Sep 3 |
| Peas | — | — | Feb 13 – Mar 6 | Sep 3 – Sep 17 |
| Eggplant | Jan 16 – Jan 30 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | — | Aug 20 – Sep 3 |
| Radish | — | — | Feb 20 – Apr 10 | Oct 1 – Oct 29 |
| Strawberry | — | Feb 27 – Mar 20 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Mar 6 – Apr 17 | Sep 3 – Sep 17 |
Nearby cities in California
- Lancaster — zone 8b, last frost Apr 11, first frost Oct 27
- Pasadena — zone 10a, last frost Jan 14, first frost Jan 1
- Santa Clarita — zone 10a, last frost Jan 26, first frost Dec 20
- Glendale — zone 10a, last frost Jan 14, first frost Jan 1
- Burbank — zone 10a, last frost Jan 10, first frost Dec 16
- Alhambra — zone 10a, last frost Jan 13, first frost Dec 28
More: all California cities · other zone 9a cities: San Antonio, TX, Austin, TX, Seattle, WA, Las Vegas, NV, Portland, OR, Tucson, AZ, Baton Rouge, LA, Tallahassee, FL
Palmdale gardening questions
When is the last frost in Palmdale, CA?
Plan around Mar 27. At NOAA's Palmdale, CA station, 0.7 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 Mar 10, and after Apr 11 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Feb 13. Springs here are erratic: 58 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 Palmdale, CA?
Start seeds indoors Jan 30 – Feb 13 and set transplants outside Apr 3 – Apr 17, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 230 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Palmdale?
About 248 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 216 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 282 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Nov 3 and a 30% chance by Nov 12. That ranks 82nd longest of 84 California cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Palmdale?
Count back from the first fall frost (Nov 12): transplant broccoli Aug 20 – Sep 3; sow kale Sep 3 – Oct 1; sow lettuce Sep 3 – Oct 1; sow radishes Oct 1 – Oct 29. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Dec 1. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Palmdale's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Palmdale was zone 8b on the 2012 map and is zone 9a 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 Palmdale in zone 9a?
No. Zone 9a covers about 69% of the city's land; the rest is in 8b (31%), measured across the city's 6 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.