Frost dates · USDA zone 10a
Frost dates for Indio, CA
Indio, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around December 31 (prior winter) and its first of fall around December 27 — 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 10 (prior winter) | Jan 13 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Dec 31 (prior winter) | Dec 27 |
| 1 year in 10 | Jan 21 | Dec 8 |
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 348 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.
Indio planting calendar, 2027
No datable frost, so these rows use the Zone 10 schedule the Plan Builder runs for heat-limited gardens. 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) | Nov 8 | Jan 3 | Apr 23 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Jan 31 | Mar 2 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Jan 17 | Jan 17 | Mar 3 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Jan 3 | Feb 14 | Apr 15 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 6 | Feb 7 | Apr 23 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Nov 22 | Feb 14 | May 20 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 6 | Feb 7 | Apr 23 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 6 | Feb 7 | Apr 28 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 6 | Feb 7 | Apr 28 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Jan 17 | Jan 17 | Mar 28 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Dec 20 | Feb 7 | Apr 18 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Dec 20 | Feb 7 | Apr 23 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Dec 20 | Feb 7 | Apr 28 | 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 Indio grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Indio container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Indio frost questions
When is the last frost in Indio, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at INDIO FIRE STN, CA is December 31 (prior winter): half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after January 21; nine years in ten, it comes after December 10 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Indio, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 27. One year in ten it arrives before December 8; nine years in ten, before January 13 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Indio, CA?
NOAA counts a full 365-day freeze-free season at INDIO FIRE STN, 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 Indio, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 10a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 92203. 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 Indio, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Dec 20 and transplant around Feb 7, a date set from the zone 10 planning average, since this station has no median frost date to count from. First ripe fruit lands around Apr 23.
When should I plant peppers in Indio, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Dec 6; transplant no earlier than Feb 7, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Apr 23.
Nearby in California
- Coachellalast frost Feb 7
- Palm Desertlast frost Dec 31
- Cathedral Citylast frost Jan 9
- Palm Springslast frost Jan 9
- Beaumontlast frost Jan 31
- Hemetlast frost Jan 31
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →