Frost dates · USDA zone 10b
Frost dates for Chula Vista, CA
Chula Vista, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around January 6 and its first of fall around December 31 — 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 13 (prior winter) | Jan 30 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Jan 6 | Dec 31 |
| 1 year in 10 | Feb 5 | Dec 11 |
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 345 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.
Chula Vista planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Jan 6) and median first frost (Dec 31) 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 14 | Dec 9 | Mar 29 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Jan 6 | Feb 5 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Dec 23 | Dec 23 | Feb 6 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Dec 9 | Jan 20 | Mar 21 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 11 | Jan 13 | Mar 29 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Oct 28 | Jan 20 | Apr 25 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 11 | Jan 13 | Mar 29 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 11 | Jan 13 | Apr 3 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 11 | Jan 13 | Apr 3 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Dec 23 | Dec 23 | Mar 3 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Nov 25 | Jan 13 | Mar 24 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Nov 25 | Jan 13 | Mar 29 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Nov 25 | Jan 13 | Apr 3 | 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 Chula Vista grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Chula Vista container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Chula Vista frost questions
When is the last frost in Chula Vista, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at SAN DIEGO BROWN FLD, CA is January 6: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after February 5; nine years in ten, it comes after December 13 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Chula Vista, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 31. One year in ten it arrives before December 11; nine years in ten, before January 30 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Chula Vista, CA?
NOAA counts a full 365-day freeze-free season at SAN DIEGO BROWN FLD, 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 Chula Vista, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 10b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 91913. 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 Chula Vista, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Nov 25 and transplant around Jan 13, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Feb 5. First ripe fruit lands around Mar 29.
When should I plant peppers in Chula Vista, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Nov 11; transplant no earlier than Jan 13, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Mar 29.
Nearby in California
- National Cityfrost rare
- La Mesalast frost Jan 6
- El Cajonlast frost Jan 6
- San Diegofrost rare
- Santeelast frost Jan 6
- Powaylast frost Mar 4
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →