When is the last frost in Palm Desert, CA?

Frost occurs in about 11% of years at the nearest NOAA station (Palm Springs Rgnl Ap, CA), so there is no reliable average last frost date.

When is the first frost in Palm Desert, CA?

Frost occurs in about 11% of years at the nearest NOAA station.

Are these frost dates a forecast?

No. They are 30-year averages and probabilities from NOAA weather station records. Use them to plan, then watch your local forecast before planting tender crops or leaving them uncovered.

Frost dates for 92260Palm Desert, CA

Frost occurs in about 11% of years near Palm Desert, based on NOAA 1991-2020 records for the Palm Springs Rgnl Ap, CA station.

Frost occurs in about 11% of years. Frost-tender plants can usually grow year-round, but cover them if a rare cold snap is forecast.

Frost risk by date

NOAA reports frost dates as probabilities. The middle date is the average (a 50% chance). For spring, the 10% date is a safer planting date: frost after it happens in about 1 year in 10. Light frost (36°F) can damage tender plants; a hard freeze (28°F) kills most annuals.

Spring dates: chance of a frost AFTER the date. Fall dates: chance of a frost BEFORE the date.
Temperature	Last spring: 90% / 50% / 10% chance	First fall: 10% / 50% / 90% chance	Growing season (50%)	Years with at least one
Light frost (36°F)	Dec 15 · Jan 8 · Feb 13	Dec 7 · Dec 29 · Jan 29	362 days	61%
Frost / freeze (32°F)	Dec 29 · Jan 9 · Jan 29	Dec 23 · Jan 9 · Jan 29	365 days	11%
Hard freeze (28°F)	—	—	365 days	2%

Where these dates come from

ZIP code 92260 is matched to the NOAA station Palm Springs Rgnl Ap, CA, 16.7 km away, at 421 ft elevation (204 ft higher than the ZIP code's center). Nearby stations for comparison:

Station	Elevation	Avg last frost	Avg first frost
Palm Springs Rgnl Ap, CA (used)	421 ft	Jan 9	Jan 9
Indio Fire Stn, CA	-21 ft	Dec 31	Dec 27
Palm Springs, CA	425 ft	Jan 1	Dec 31
Desert Resorts Rgnl Ap, CA	-118 ft	Feb 7	Dec 2

Frost dates near Palm Desert

Palm Desert, CA 92255 · last Jan 9, first Jan 9
Indian Wells, CA 92210 · last Feb 7, first Dec 2
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 · last Jan 9, first Jan 9
La Quinta, CA 92253 · last Feb 7, first Dec 2
Thousand Palms, CA 92276 · last Jan 9, first Jan 9
Cathedral City, CA 92235 · last Jan 9, first Jan 9
Indio, CA 92203 · last Feb 7, first Dec 2
Palm Springs, CA 92263 · last Jan 1, first Dec 31

Frequently asked questions

When is the last frost in Palm Desert, CA?: Frost occurs in about 11% of years at the nearest NOAA station (Palm Springs Rgnl Ap, CA), so there is no reliable average last frost date.
When is the first frost in Palm Desert, CA?: Frost occurs in about 11% of years at the nearest NOAA station.
Are these frost dates a forecast?: No. They are 30-year averages and probabilities from NOAA weather station records. Use them to plan, then watch your local forecast before planting tender crops or leaving them uncovered.