Frost dates · USDA zone 10b
Frost dates for Mission Viejo, CA
Mission Viejo, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around January 5 and its first of fall around December 25 — 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 14 (prior winter) | Jan 20 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Jan 5 | Dec 25 |
| 1 year in 10 | Feb 2 | Dec 3 |
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 331 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.
Mission Viejo planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Jan 5) and median first frost (Dec 25) 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 13 | Dec 8 | Mar 28 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Jan 5 | Feb 4 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Dec 22 | Dec 22 | Feb 5 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Dec 8 | Jan 19 | Mar 20 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 10 | Jan 12 | Mar 28 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Oct 27 | Jan 19 | Apr 24 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 10 | Jan 12 | Mar 28 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 10 | Jan 12 | Apr 2 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 10 | Jan 12 | Apr 2 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Dec 22 | Dec 22 | Mar 2 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Nov 24 | Jan 12 | Mar 23 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Nov 24 | Jan 12 | Mar 28 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Nov 24 | Jan 12 | Apr 2 | 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 Mission Viejo grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Mission Viejo container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Mission Viejo frost questions
When is the last frost in Mission Viejo, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at TUSTIN IRVINE RCH, CA is January 5: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after February 2; nine years in ten, it comes after December 14 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Mission Viejo, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 25. One year in ten it arrives before December 3; nine years in ten, before January 20 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Mission Viejo, CA?
NOAA counts a full 365-day freeze-free season at TUSTIN IRVINE RCH, 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 Mission Viejo, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 10b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 92691. 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 Mission Viejo, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Nov 24 and transplant around Jan 12, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Feb 2. First ripe fruit lands around Mar 28.
When should I plant peppers in Mission Viejo, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Nov 10; transplant no earlier than Jan 12, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Mar 28.
Nearby in California
- Lake Forestlast frost Jan 5
- Rancho Santa Margaritafrost rare
- Aliso Viejolast frost Jan 6
- Laguna Niguellast frost Jan 6
- Irvinelast frost Jan 5
- San Clementelast frost Jan 6
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →