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

Planting zone for 90251 — Hawthorne, CA

ZIP code 90251 (Hawthorne, Los Angeles County) is in USDA zone 10b: the coldest winter night averages 35 to 40 °F.

Where ZIP 90251 is

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.

Zone10b35 to 40 °F
Coldest night1.7 to 4.4 °C
Last frostrare
First frostrare
2012 zone10b

Same zone as on the 2012 map. The zone is the one at the center of the ZIP code; hilly ZIPs can span two zones. What zone 10b means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Hawthorne, 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 Torrance Airport, CA — 8 miles away, elevation 89 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 90251 came on Jan 17 — 3 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 20).

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 Hawthorne, CA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 90251 is Windfetch — loam, well drained. Much of the area is built over (urban land); this is the natural soil underneath.

TextureLoama good balance for most vegetables
pH7.2neutral; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageWell drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter2.5%moderate
Hydrologic groupCwater soaks in slowly
Farmland classPrime farmland if irrigatedUSDA classification

Map unit: Urban land-Windfetch-Typic Haploxerolls complex, 0 to 2 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 90251; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Hawthorne, CA

Summer high79 °Faverage high, August
Winter low49 °Faverage low, January
Hot days9days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights0nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days5,314base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 25 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
Precipitation11.8 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

40°50°60°70°80°90°January: average high 67 °F, low 49 °F 67°49° JanFebruary: average high 67 °F, low 51 °F 67°51° FebMarch: average high 68 °F, low 53 °F 68°53° MarApril: average high 70 °F, low 55 °F 70°55° AprMay: average high 71 °F, low 58 °F 71°58° MayJune: average high 73 °F, low 62 °F 73°62° JunJuly: average high 77 °F, low 65 °F 77°65° JulAugust: average high 79 °F, low 65 °F 79°65° AugSeptember: average high 79 °F, low 65 °F 79°65° SepOctober: average high 76 °F, low 60 °F 76°60° OctNovember: average high 72 °F, low 54 °F 72°54° NovDecember: average high 66 °F, low 49 °F 66°49° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″2″3″January: 2.67 in precipitation 2.7 JanFebruary: 2.96 in precipitation 3.0 FebMarch: 1.67 in precipitation 1.7 MarApril: 0.60 in precipitation 0.6 AprMay: 0.29 in precipitation 0.3 MayJune: 0.00 in precipitation 0.0 JunJuly: 0.02 in precipitation 0.0 JulAugust: 0.00 in precipitation 0.0 AugSeptember: 0.17 in precipitation 0.2 SepOctober: 0.48 in precipitation 0.5 OctNovember: 0.72 in precipitation 0.7 NovDecember: 2.19 in precipitation 2.2 Dec

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

Nearby ZIP codes

All 8 nearest ZIP codes share zone 10b.

9025010b
Hawthorne, CA · <1 mi
9030410b
Inglewood, CA · 1 mi
9030310b
Inglewood, CA · 2 mi
9026010b
Lawndale, CA · 2 mi
9026110b
Lawndale, CA · 2 mi
9024910b
Gardena, CA · 2 mi
9030110b
Inglewood, CA · 3 mi
9024510b
El Segundo, CA · 3 mi

All 2 ZIP codes in Hawthorne → · California planting zones →

Questions about 90251

What planting zone is ZIP code 90251?

ZIP code 90251 (Hawthorne, CA) is in USDA hardiness zone 10b on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches 35 to 40 °F (1.7 to 4.4 °C).

How much rain and snow does 90251 get?

About 11.8 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Hawthorne Municipal Airport station).

How hot do summers get in Hawthorne, CA?

The average high peaks at 79 °F in August, with about 9 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 90251 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Windfetch at the center of ZIP 90251: loam, well drained, pH about 7.2 (neutral).

Did spring come early in Hawthorne, CA in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 90251 came on Jan 17 in 2026, 3 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 20), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Hawthorne, CA?

Intermediate onions: the longest day near 90251 is 14 h 25 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.