Frost dates · USDA zone 9b
Frost dates for Santa Maria, CA
Santa Maria, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around February 4 and its first of fall around December 13 — a 315-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 10 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Feb 4 | Dec 13 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 16 | 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: 315 days median, at least 268 in 9 years of 10, at least 354 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 Jan 5 and first of Dec 27.
Santa Maria planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Feb 4) and median first frost (Dec 13) 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) | Nov 12 | Jan 7 | Apr 27 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Feb 4 | Mar 6 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Jan 21 | Jan 21 | Mar 7 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Jan 7 | Feb 18 | Apr 19 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 10 | Feb 11 | Apr 27 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Nov 26 | Feb 18 | May 24 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 10 | Feb 11 | Apr 27 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 10 | Feb 11 | May 2 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 10 | Feb 11 | May 2 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Jan 21 | Jan 21 | Apr 1 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Dec 24 | Feb 11 | Apr 22 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Dec 24 | Feb 11 | Apr 27 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Dec 24 | Feb 11 | May 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 Santa Maria grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Santa Maria container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Santa Maria frost questions
When is the last frost in Santa Maria, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at SANTA MARIA PUBLIC AP, CA is February 4: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 16; 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 Santa Maria, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is December 13. One year in ten it arrives before November 21; nine years in ten, before January 10 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Santa Maria, CA?
315 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 268 days; one year in ten, at least 354 days.
What growing zone is Santa Maria, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 9b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 93458. 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 Santa Maria, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Dec 24 and transplant around Feb 11, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 16. First ripe fruit lands around Apr 27.
When should I plant peppers in Santa Maria, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Dec 10; transplant no earlier than Feb 11, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Apr 27.
Nearby in California
- Lompoclast frost Jan 20
- San Luis Obispolast frost Jan 16
- Santa Barbaralast frost Jan 13
- San Buenaventura (Ventura)frost rare
- Bakersfieldlast frost Jan 31
- Oxnardfrost rare
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →