Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated

Planting zone for Palm Springs, CA

Palm Springs, CA is in USDA zone 10a across its 3 ZIP codes.

Palm Springs on the zone map

Outlined: its 2 ZIP code areas · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zone10a30 to 35 °F
ZIP codes3
Last frostrare
First frostrare
Growing seasonall year

10a 3 ZIPs

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Palm Springs, CA…

Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates

A 32 °F frost doesn't happen here in most winters. At the nearest station (NOAA station Palm Springs, CA, elevation 427 ft) the median growing season is 365 days. When frost does come, it is a midwinter night or two; cover tender plants when a freeze is forecast.

Frost data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

When spring arrived in 2026

In 2026, spring leaf-out near 92263 came on Jan 16 — 5 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 21).

JanFebMarAprMayJun

The Spring Index marks the day when accumulated warmth is enough for lilac and honeysuckle to leaf out — a widely used signal that the growing season has started. Source: USA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org — Spring Indices, first leaf, 2026 (data as of 2026-09-08) and 30-year average 1991–2020 (CC BY 4.0).

Soil in Palm Springs, CA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 92263 is Carsitas — cobbly sand, excessively drained.

TextureCobbly sanddrains and warms fast; dries out and needs more feeding
pH8.2alkaline; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageExcessively drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter0.75%low — add compost
Hydrologic groupAwater soaks in fast
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Carsitas cobbly sand, 2 to 9 percent slopes.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 92263; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Palm Springs, CA

Summer high108 °Faverage high, July
Winter low45 °Faverage low, December
Hot days183days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights1nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days9,215base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 24 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 54 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation5.1 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°110°120°32 °FJanuary: average high 71 °F, low 47 °F 71°47° JanFebruary: average high 73 °F, low 49 °F 73°49° FebMarch: average high 80 °F, low 54 °F 80°54° MarApril: average high 88 °F, low 59 °F 88°59° AprMay: average high 94 °F, low 65 °F 94°65° MayJune: average high 103 °F, low 72 °F 103°72° JunJuly: average high 108 °F, low 79 °F 108°79° JulAugust: average high 108 °F, low 79 °F 108°79° AugSeptember: average high 102 °F, low 73 °F 102°73° SepOctober: average high 91 °F, low 64 °F 91°64° OctNovember: average high 78 °F, low 54 °F 78°54° NovDecember: average high 69 °F, low 45 °F 69°45° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″2″January: 1.42 in precipitation 1.4 JanFebruary: 1.11 in precipitation 1.1 FebMarch: 0.55 in precipitation 0.6 MarApril: 0.10 in precipitation 0.1 AprMay: 0.01 in precipitation 0.0 MayJune: 0.00 in precipitation 0.0 JunJuly: 0.25 in precipitation 0.3 JulAugust: 0.18 in precipitation 0.2 AugSeptember: 0.21 in precipitation 0.2 SepOctober: 0.18 in precipitation 0.2 OctNovember: 0.28 in precipitation 0.3 NovDecember: 0.82 in precipitation 0.8 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Palm Springs, CA (5 mi away); precipitation: Palm Springs, CA (5 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

ZIP codes in Palm Springs

California planting zones →

Questions about Palm Springs

What planting zone is Palm Springs, CA?

Palm Springs, CA is in USDA hardiness zone 10a on the 2023 map (10a: 30 to 35 °F).

What kind of onions grow in Palm Springs, CA?

Intermediate onions: the longest day is 14 h 24 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.

How much rain and snow does Palm Springs, CA get?

About 5.1 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals).