Frost dates · USDA zone 10a
Frost dates for Oceanside, CA
Oceanside, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around January 23 and its first of fall around December 11 — a 325-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 22 (prior winter) | Jan 15 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Jan 23 | Dec 11 |
| 1 year in 10 | Feb 22 | Nov 21 |
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: 325 days median, at least 287 in 9 years of 10, at least 360 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Dec 31 (prior winter) and first of Dec 23.
Oceanside planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Jan 23) and median first frost (Dec 11) 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 31 | Dec 26 | Apr 15 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Jan 23 | Feb 22 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Jan 9 | Jan 9 | Feb 23 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Dec 26 | Feb 6 | Apr 7 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 28 | Jan 30 | Apr 15 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Nov 14 | Feb 6 | May 12 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 28 | Jan 30 | Apr 15 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 28 | Jan 30 | Apr 20 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Nov 28 | Jan 30 | Apr 20 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Jan 9 | Jan 9 | Mar 20 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Dec 12 | Jan 30 | Apr 10 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Dec 12 | Jan 30 | Apr 15 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Dec 12 | Jan 30 | Apr 20 | 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 Oceanside grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Oceanside container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Oceanside frost questions
When is the last frost in Oceanside, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at OCEANSIDE MUNI AP, CA is January 23: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after February 22; nine years in ten, it comes after December 22 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Oceanside, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 11. One year in ten it arrives before November 21; nine years in ten, before January 15 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Oceanside, CA?
325 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 287 days; one year in ten, at least 360 days.
What growing zone is Oceanside, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 10a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 92056. 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 Oceanside, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Dec 12 and transplant around Jan 30, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Feb 22. First ripe fruit lands around Apr 15.
When should I plant peppers in Oceanside, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Nov 28; transplant no earlier than Jan 30, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Apr 15.
Nearby in California
- Vistalast frost Jan 30
- Carlsbadfrost rare
- San Marcoslast frost Jan 2
- Encinitasfrost rare
- Escondidolast frost Jan 2
- Temeculalast frost Feb 2
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →