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

Planting zone for 91121 — Pasadena, CA

ZIP code 91121 (Pasadena, Los Angeles County) is in USDA zone 10a: the coldest winter night averages 30 to 35 °F.

Where ZIP 91121 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.

Zone10a30 to 35 °F
Coldest night−1.1 to 1.7 °C
Last frostrare
First frostrare
2012 zone10a

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 10a means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Pasadena, 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 Pasadena, CA — within 1 mile, elevation 863 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 91121 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 Pasadena, CA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 91121 is Azuvina — loam, well drained. Much of the area is built over (urban land); this is the natural soil underneath.

TextureLoama good balance for most vegetables
pH7.9alkaline; 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-Azuvina-Montebello complex, 0 to 5 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 91121; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Pasadena, CA

Summer high91 °Faverage high, August
Winter low45 °Faverage low, December
Hot days74days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights0nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days5,867base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 26 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 52 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation20.1 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32 °FJanuary: average high 68 °F, low 46 °F 68°46° JanFebruary: average high 69 °F, low 46 °F 69°46° FebMarch: average high 73 °F, low 48 °F 73°48° MarApril: average high 76 °F, low 51 °F 76°51° AprMay: average high 78 °F, low 54 °F 78°54° MayJune: average high 84 °F, low 58 °F 84°58° JunJuly: average high 89 °F, low 62 °F 89°62° JulAugust: average high 91 °F, low 63 °F 91°63° AugSeptember: average high 90 °F, low 62 °F 90°62° SepOctober: average high 83 °F, low 56 °F 83°56° OctNovember: average high 75 °F, low 50 °F 75°50° NovDecember: average high 67 °F, low 45 °F 67°45° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″2″3″4″5″6″January: 4.51 in precipitation 4.5 JanFebruary: 5.16 in precipitation 5.2 FebMarch: 3.03 in precipitation 3.0 MarApril: 1.11 in precipitation 1.1 AprMay: 0.48 in precipitation 0.5 MayJune: 0.21 in precipitation 0.2 JunJuly: 0.06 in precipitation 0.1 JulAugust: 0.03 in precipitation 0.0 AugSeptember: 0.22 in precipitation 0.2 SepOctober: 0.84 in precipitation 0.8 OctNovember: 1.10 in precipitation 1.1 NovDecember: 3.33 in precipitation 3.3 Dec

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

Nearby ZIP codes

3 of the 8 nearest ZIP codes are in a different zone — elevation and distance from water change winter lows quickly.

9110210b
Pasadena, CA · <1 mi
9110910a
Pasadena, CA · <1 mi
9111010a
Pasadena, CA · <1 mi
9111410b
Pasadena, CA · <1 mi
9111510a
Pasadena, CA · <1 mi
9111610a
Pasadena, CA · <1 mi
9111710a
Pasadena, CA · <1 mi
9112410b
Pasadena, CA · <1 mi

All 24 ZIP codes in Pasadena → · California planting zones →

Questions about 91121

What planting zone is ZIP code 91121?

ZIP code 91121 (Pasadena, CA) is in USDA hardiness zone 10a on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches 30 to 35 °F (−1.1 to 1.7 °C).

How much rain and snow does 91121 get?

About 20.1 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Pasadena station).

How hot do summers get in Pasadena, CA?

The average high peaks at 91 °F in August, with about 74 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 91121 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Azuvina at the center of ZIP 91121: loam, well drained, pH about 7.9 (alkaline).

Did spring come early in Pasadena, CA in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 91121 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 Pasadena, CA?

Intermediate onions: the longest day near 91121 is 14 h 26 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.