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

Planting zone for Turlock, CA

Turlock, CA is in USDA zone 9b across its 3 ZIP codes.

Turlock 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.

Zone9b25 to 30 °F
ZIP codes3
Last frostrare
First frostrare
Growing seasonall year

9b 3 ZIPs

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Turlock, 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 Turlock #2, CA, elevation 102 ft) the median growing season is 351 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 95381 came on Jan 31 — about the same time as the 1991–2020 average (Jan 31).

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 Turlock, CA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 95381 is Delhi — loamy sand, somewhat excessively drained.

TextureLoamy sanddrains and warms fast; dries out and needs more feeding
pH6.7neutral; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageSomewhat excessively drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter0.75%low — add compost
Hydrologic groupAwater soaks in fast
Farmland classPrime farmland if irrigatedUSDA classification

Map unit: Delhi loamy sand, 0 to 3 percent slopes, MLRA 17.

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 95381; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Turlock, CA

Summer high93 °Faverage high, July
Winter low42 °Faverage low, January
Hot days80days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights7nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days5,351base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 45 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 34 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation12.4 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32 °FJanuary: average high 55 °F, low 42 °F 55°42° JanFebruary: average high 61 °F, low 45 °F 61°45° FebMarch: average high 67 °F, low 49 °F 67°49° MarApril: average high 72 °F, low 52 °F 72°52° AprMay: average high 80 °F, low 57 °F 80°57° MayJune: average high 88 °F, low 62 °F 88°62° JunJuly: average high 93 °F, low 66 °F 93°66° JulAugust: average high 92 °F, low 65 °F 92°65° AugSeptember: average high 88 °F, low 62 °F 88°62° SepOctober: average high 77 °F, low 55 °F 77°55° OctNovember: average high 64 °F, low 47 °F 64°47° NovDecember: average high 55 °F, low 42 °F 55°42° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″2″3″January: 2.63 in precipitation 2.6 JanFebruary: 2.29 in precipitation 2.3 FebMarch: 1.85 in precipitation 1.9 MarApril: 0.93 in precipitation 0.9 AprMay: 0.59 in precipitation 0.6 MayJune: 0.12 in precipitation 0.1 JunJuly: 0.00 in precipitation 0.0 JulAugust: 0.01 in precipitation 0.0 AugSeptember: 0.03 in precipitation 0.0 SepOctober: 0.61 in precipitation 0.6 OctNovember: 1.07 in precipitation 1.1 NovDecember: 2.26 in precipitation 2.3 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Turlock #2, CA (within 1 mile); precipitation: Turlock #2, CA (within 1 mile). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

ZIP codes in Turlock

California planting zones →

Questions about Turlock

What planting zone is Turlock, CA?

Turlock, CA is in USDA hardiness zone 9b on the 2023 map (9b: 25 to 30 °F).

What kind of onions grow in Turlock, CA?

Intermediate onions: the longest day is 14 h 45 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.

How much rain and snow does Turlock, CA get?

About 12.4 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals).