Frost dates · USDA zone 10a
Frost dates for Vista, CA
Vista, CA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around January 30 and its first of fall around January 7 (next year) — 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 20 (prior winter) | Mar 14 (next year) |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Jan 30 | Jan 7 (next year) |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 16 | Dec 14 |
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 318 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. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Dec 30 (prior winter) and first of Dec 30.
Vista planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Jan 30) and median first frost (Jan 7) 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 7 | Jan 2 | Apr 22 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Jan 30 | Mar 1 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Jan 16 | Jan 16 | Mar 2 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Jan 2 | Feb 13 | Apr 14 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 5 | Feb 6 | Apr 22 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Nov 21 | Feb 13 | May 19 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 5 | Feb 6 | Apr 22 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 5 | Feb 6 | Apr 27 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Dec 5 | Feb 6 | Apr 27 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Jan 16 | Jan 16 | Mar 27 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Dec 19 | Feb 6 | Apr 17 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Dec 19 | Feb 6 | Apr 22 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Dec 19 | Feb 6 | Apr 27 | 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 Vista grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Vista container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Vista frost questions
When is the last frost in Vista, CA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at VISTA, CA is January 30: 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 20 (prior winter). Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Vista, CA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is January 7 (next year). One year in ten it arrives before December 14; nine years in ten, before March 14 (next year).
How long is the growing season in Vista, CA?
NOAA counts a full 365-day freeze-free season at VISTA, 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 Vista, CA?
USDA hardiness zone 10a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 92083. 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 Vista, CA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Dec 19 and transplant around Feb 6, 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 22.
When should I plant peppers in Vista, CA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Dec 5; transplant no earlier than Feb 6, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Apr 22.
Nearby in California
- Oceansidelast frost Jan 23
- Carlsbadfrost rare
- San Marcoslast frost Jan 2
- Encinitasfrost rare
- Escondidolast frost Jan 2
- Powaylast frost Mar 4
All California frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →