Fall in zone 10aPhoto: George Chernilevsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Frost dates for ZIP 93117 (Goleta, CA)
Average last spring and first fall frost dates with 10%, 50% and 90% odds, from NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the nearest weather station, Cachuma Lake, CA (9 miles away).
- Average last spring frostApr 1150% chance of a 32°F freeze after this date
- Average first fall frostNov 850% chance of a 32°F freeze by this date
- Growing season (frost-free)209 daysmedian, 32°F threshold
- USDA hardiness zone10a30 to 35°F avg. coldest night
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This week in your yard
As of Oct 18, 2026, from your frost dates, zone and soil temperature. Lawn timing · Vegetables · Pruning · Plants
Soil temperature now
2-inch depth
72°F 55°F or warmer
24-hour average · latest 65°F, as of Oct 18, 1:00 AM CDT
Measured at NOAA USCRN station Santa Barbara 11 W, 13 mi away. Daily averages: Thu 68°, Fri 71°, Sat 72°.
4-inch depth
71°F 55°F or warmer
24-hour average · latest 69°F, as of Oct 18, 1:00 AM CDT
Measured at NOAA USCRN station Santa Barbara 11 W, 13 mi away. Daily averages: Thu 68°, Fri 70°, Sat 71°.
Fall: Texas A&M AgriLife times fall pre-emergent (for winter weeds such as annual bluegrass) to soil cooling to about 70°F for several days. The 50–55°F band is the spring trigger. Always read and follow the product label.
7-day forecast and frost risk
The latest National Weather Service 7-day forecast and any Frost Advisory or Freeze Warning for 93117 load here. You can also open the NWS forecast for this ZIP.
Pre-emergent
Soil is 71°F at 4 inches. Fall pre-emergent (annual bluegrass, winter weeds): window open as soil cools through the 70s and 60s.
Fertilizer window
Lawn region: California coastal and valleys. Timing only; always follow the product label.
- Bermudagrass (warm-season): Spring: Several weeks after the lawn is fully green (April–May) (about May 27 here, using green-up about 3–4 weeks after your average last frost); Summer: Every 4–6 weeks through mid-August (heaviest feeder of the group); Late: Light, low-nitrogen/high-potassium feeding about 4 weeks before first frost, or skip. Avoid: Heavy late-fall nitrogen (linked to spring dead spot).
- Tall fescue (cool-season): Early fall: September (main feeding); Late fall: November, while still green; Late winter: Optional light feeding February–March. Avoid: Feeding after mid-spring and through summer in the transition zone (stress and brown patch).
Plant now
Prune now
No frost-timed pruning windows are open this week.
Your average first frost is Nov 8: skip heavy pruning in the 6–8 weeks before it, because new growth may not harden off in time.
Spring-flowering shrubs are pruned right after their flowers fade, not by date. See the pruning guide.
Last spring frost odds
| Chance of a 32°F freeze after this date | Date |
|---|---|
| 90% (early: most years still freeze after this) | Mar 14 |
| 50% (the "average" last frost) | Apr 11 |
| 10% (cautious: only 1 year in 10 freezes later) | May 6 |
Most gardeners plant frost-tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, basil) after the 50% date, and closer to the 10% date for less risk.
First fall frost odds
| Chance the first 32°F freeze has happened by this date | Date |
|---|---|
| 10% (early: 1 year in 10 freezes this soon) | Oct 14 |
| 50% (the "average" first frost) | Nov 8 |
| 90% (late: most years have frozen by now) | Nov 29 |
Light frost, freeze and hard freeze
| Threshold | Last spring (50%) | First fall (50%) |
|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost possible on clear, calm nights) | May 12 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 11 | Nov 8 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | Feb 27 | Nov 27 |
n/a means NOAA did not publish a date at that threshold for this station (usually because it rarely gets that cold).
Vegetable planting calendar for 93117
Dates count from your average last spring frost (Apr 11) and first fall frost (Nov 8). Half of years have a frost after the spring date, so give tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, squash) some slack.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring planting | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 14–28 | Apr 18–May 2 (transplant) | – |
| Pepper (sweet and hot) | Jan 31–Feb 14 | Apr 25–May 9 (transplant) | – |
| Eggplant | Jan 31–Feb 14 | Apr 25–May 9 (transplant) | – |
| Tomatillo | Feb 14–28 | Apr 18–May 2 (transplant) | – |
| Lettuce | Feb 14–28 | Mar 21–Apr 11 (transplant) Mar 14–Apr 25 (sow outdoors) | Sep 13–Oct 4 (transplant) Aug 30–Sep 27 (sowing) |
| Spinach | – | Feb 28–Mar 21 (sow outdoors) | Sep 13–Oct 4 (sowing) |
| Kale | Feb 14–28 | Mar 14–28 (transplant) Mar 14–28 (sow outdoors) | Aug 16–Sep 13 (transplant) Aug 2–30 (sowing) |
| Collards | Feb 14–28 | Mar 14–Apr 11 (transplant) Mar 14–Apr 11 (sow outdoors) | Aug 16–Sep 13 (transplant) Aug 2–30 (sowing) |
| Broccoli | Jan 31–Feb 14 | Mar 14–28 (transplant) | Aug 2–30 (transplant) |
| Cabbage | Jan 31–Feb 14 | Mar 14–28 (transplant) | Aug 2–30 (transplant) |
| Cauliflower | Jan 31–Feb 14 | Mar 28–Apr 11 (transplant) | Aug 2–30 (transplant) |
| Brussels sprouts | Jan 17–31 | Mar 14–28 (transplant) | Jul 19–Aug 9 (transplant) |
| Kohlrabi | Feb 14–28 | Mar 14–28 (transplant) Mar 14–28 (sow outdoors) | Aug 30–Sep 13 (sowing) |
| Bok choy / Asian greens | – | Mar 14–28 (sow outdoors) | Sep 13–27 (sowing) |
| Arugula | – | Mar 14–Apr 11 (sow outdoors) | Sep 13–Oct 11 (sowing) |
| Mustard greens | – | Mar 14–Apr 4 (sow outdoors) | Sep 13–27 (sowing) |
| Swiss chard | Feb 28–Mar 14 | Mar 28–Apr 18 (transplant) Mar 28–Apr 25 (sow outdoors) | Aug 30–Sep 13 (sowing) |
| Beet | – | Mar 14–Apr 11 (sow outdoors) | Aug 30–Sep 13 (sowing) |
| Carrot | – | Mar 21–Apr 18 (sow outdoors) | Aug 16–30 (sowing) |
| Radish | – | Mar 7–Apr 18 (sow outdoors) | Sep 27–Oct 11 (sowing) |
| Turnip | – | Mar 14–Apr 4 (sow outdoors) | Aug 30–Sep 13 (sowing) |
| Parsnip | – | Mar 21–Apr 11 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Pea (garden, snap, snow) | – | Feb 14–Mar 14 (sow outdoors) | Aug 16–30 (sowing) |
| Onion (bulbing) | Jan 17–31 | Feb 28–Mar 14 (transplant) | – |
| Green onion / scallion | – | Feb 28–Mar 28 (sow outdoors) | Aug 30–Sep 13 (sowing) |
| Leek | Jan 17–31 | Mar 14–28 (transplant) | – |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 27–Oct 25 (sowing) |
| Shallot | – | Feb 28–Mar 14 (transplant) | Sep 27–Oct 25 (sowing) |
| Potato | – | Mar 14–28 (transplant) | Jul 19–Aug 2 (transplant) |
| Sweet potato | – | May 2–16 (transplant) | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 18–May 2 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Bean, bush (snap) | – | Apr 18–May 2 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Bean, pole | – | Apr 18–May 2 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Lima bean | – | Apr 25–May 9 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Southern pea (cowpea, black-eyed pea) | – | May 2–23 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cucumber | Mar 14–21 | Apr 18–May 2 (transplant) Apr 18–May 2 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Mar 14–21 | Apr 18–May 2 (transplant) Apr 18–May 2 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Winter squash | Mar 14–21 | Apr 18–May 2 (transplant) Apr 18–May 2 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Pumpkin | – | Apr 18–May 2 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Watermelon | Mar 14–21 | Apr 25–May 9 (transplant) Apr 25–May 9 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cantaloupe / muskmelon | Mar 14–21 | Apr 25–May 9 (transplant) Apr 25–May 9 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Okra | Feb 28–Mar 14 | Apr 25–May 9 (transplant) Apr 25–May 9 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Celery | Jan 17–31 | Apr 18–25 (transplant) | – |
| Basil | Feb 28–Mar 14 | Apr 18–May 2 (transplant) Apr 18–May 2 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Cilantro | – | Mar 28–Apr 25 (sow outdoors) | Sep 13–27 (sowing) |
| Parsley | Jan 31–Feb 14 | Mar 28–Apr 11 (transplant) Mar 21–Apr 11 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Dill | – | Apr 11–25 (sow outdoors) | Sep 13–27 (sowing) |
| Sunflower | – | Apr 11–25 (sow outdoors) | – |
| Asparagus (crowns) | – | Mar 14–28 (transplant) | – |
| Rhubarb (crowns) | – | Mar 14–28 (transplant) | – |
| Strawberry (plants) | – | Mar 14–28 (transplant) | Aug 30–Sep 27 (transplant) |
Typical ranges from university extension planting calendars, adjusted to your frost dates. Probabilities, not guarantees. Fall windows that would overlap spring planting are left out, as are fall crops of frost-tender plants where the frost-free season is under 210 days.
Where these numbers come from
Station: Cachuma Lake, CA (NOAA GHCN-Daily ID USC00041253), elevation 789 ft, 9.2 miles from the ZIP's center point. NOAA completeness flag: R (representative, 10+ years).
Nearby stations
| Station | Distance | Last frost (50%) | First frost (50%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara 11 W, CA | 12 mi | Dec 31 (prior Dec) | Dec 20 |
| Santa Barbara Muni AP, CA | 14 mi | Jan 11 | Dec 16 |
| Gibraltar Dam #2, CA | 23 mi | Mar 20 | Nov 27 |
The average last-frost dates of these stations span 104 days, a rough guide to local variation. See data sources & methods.
Frost questions for 93117
When is the last frost in 93117?
The average (50% chance) last spring freeze of 32°F for ZIP 93117 is April 11. For a more cautious planting date, use May 6, when only 1 year in 10 still sees a later freeze.
When is the first frost in 93117?
The average first fall freeze is November 8. In 1 year in 10 it comes by October 14.
What hardiness zone is 93117?
ZIP 93117 is in USDA zone 10a (30 to 35°F average coldest winter night), per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP listing.
What is the soil temperature in 93117 right now?
This page shows the latest 2-inch and 4-inch soil temperature from the nearest public soil station (USDA SCAN, NOAA USCRN or TexMesonet), or a labeled estimate when no station is close, against the 50–55°F spring pre-emergent band.
Nearby ZIP codes
93463 Solvang 93106 University of California-Santa Barbara 93427 Buellton 93111 Eastern Goleta Valley 93441 Los Olivos 93110 Eastern Goleta Valley 93105 Mission Canyon 93436 Lompoc
Other ZIP codes in Santa Barbara County
93013 93067 93101 93103 93105 93106 93108 93109 93110 93111 93254 93427 93429 93434 93436 93437 93440 93441 93454 93455 93458 93460 93463 All Santa Barbara County frost dates · California frost dates
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Weekly yard timing, plus frost and soil-temperature alerts for your ZIP code.
- Freeze alerts
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Free. One weekly email plus alerts when your ZIP has a frost or a soil-temperature change worth acting on. After you submit, Kit (our email provider) sends a confirmation email: check your email and click the link to confirm. You aren't subscribed until you do. We collect only your email address and ZIP, sent to Kit to deliver The Dial. Unsubscribe anytime.