Frost dates · USDA zone 10a
Frost dates for Cathedral City, CA
Cathedral City, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around January 9 and its first of fall around January 9 (next year) — a 365-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Dec 29 (prior winter) | Jan 29 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 9 (next year) |
| 1 year in 10 | Jan 29 | Dec 23 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 365 days median, at least 365 in 9 years of 10, no freeze at all in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above.
Cathedral City planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Jan 9) and median first frost (Jan 9) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Oct 17 | Dec 12 | Apr 1 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Jan 9 | Feb 8 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Dec 26 | Dec 26 | Feb 9 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Dec 12 | Jan 23 | Mar 24 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 14 | Jan 16 | Apr 1 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Oct 31 | Jan 23 | Apr 28 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 14 | Jan 16 | Apr 1 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 14 | Jan 16 | Apr 6 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 14 | Jan 16 | Apr 6 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Dec 26 | Dec 26 | Mar 6 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Nov 28 | Jan 16 | Mar 27 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Nov 28 | Jan 16 | Apr 1 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Nov 28 | Jan 16 | Apr 6 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Cathedral City grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Cathedral City container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Cathedral City frost questions
When is the last frost in Cathedral City, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at PALM SPRINGS RGNL AP, CA is January 9: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after January 29; nine years in ten, it comes after December 29 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Cathedral City, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is January 9 (next year). One year in ten it arrives before December 23; nine years in ten, before January 29 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Cathedral City, CA?
NOAA counts a full 365-day freeze-free season at PALM SPRINGS RGNL AP, CA in a typical year. What limits a sauce garden here is heat: peppers and tomatoes drop flowers in sustained hot nights, so plant to finish before peak summer or after it breaks.
What growing zone is Cathedral City, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 10a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 92234. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Cathedral City, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Nov 28 and transplant around Jan 16, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Jan 29. First ripe fruit lands around Apr 1.
When should I plant peppers in Cathedral City, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Nov 14; transplant no earlier than Jan 16, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Apr 1.
Nearby in California
- Palm Springslast frost Jan 9
- Palm Desertlast frost Dec 31
- Indiolast frost Dec 31
- Coachellalast frost Feb 7
- Beaumontlast frost Jan 31
- San Jacintolast frost Jan 31
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →