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

Planting zone for 92266 — Palo Verde, CA

ZIP code 92266 (Palo Verde, Imperial County) is in USDA zone 10a: the coldest winter night averages 30 to 35 °F.

Where ZIP 92266 is

Outlined: the ZIP code area · 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 Palo Verde, 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 Blythe Airport, CA — 31 miles away, elevation 394 ft) the median growing season is 347 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 92266 came on Jan 18 — 5 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 23).

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 Palo Verde, CA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 92266 is Torriorthents — extremely gravelly sand, somewhat excessively drained.

TextureExtremely gravelly sanddrains and warms fast; dries out and needs more feeding
pH8.0alkaline; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageSomewhat excessively drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter0.2%low — add compost
Hydrologic groupAwater soaks in fast
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Torriorthents, Torripsamments, and Haplargids; hyperthermic fan piedmonts.

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 92266; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Palo Verde, CA

Summer high109 °Faverage high, July
Winter low42 °Faverage low, December
Hot days179days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights3nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days8,958base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 21 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 57 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation3.6 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 68 °F, low 43 °F 68°43° JanFebruary: average high 72 °F, low 46 °F 72°46° FebMarch: average high 80 °F, low 52 °F 80°52° MarApril: average high 87 °F, low 57 °F 87°57° AprMay: average high 96 °F, low 65 °F 96°65° MayJune: average high 105 °F, low 73 °F 105°73° JunJuly: average high 109 °F, low 82 °F 109°82° JulAugust: average high 108 °F, low 82 °F 108°82° AugSeptember: average high 102 °F, low 74 °F 102°74° SepOctober: average high 90 °F, low 61 °F 90°61° OctNovember: average high 77 °F, low 49 °F 77°49° NovDecember: average high 66 °F, low 42 °F 66°42° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″January: 0.53 in precipitation 0.5 JanFebruary: 0.62 in precipitation 0.6 FebMarch: 0.48 in precipitation 0.5 MarApril: 0.09 in precipitation 0.1 AprMay: 0.05 in precipitation 0.1 MayJune: 0.01 in precipitation 0.0 JunJuly: 0.26 in precipitation 0.3 JulAugust: 0.40 in precipitation 0.4 AugSeptember: 0.32 in precipitation 0.3 SepOctober: 0.16 in precipitation 0.2 OctNovember: 0.21 in precipitation 0.2 NovDecember: 0.43 in precipitation 0.4 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Blythe Airport, CA (31 mi away); precipitation: Blythe Airport, CA (31 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

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

853289b
Cibola, AZ · 17 mi
9228310a
Winterhaven, CA · 23 mi
9222710a
Brawley, CA · 28 mi
922269b
Blythe, CA · 31 mi
9225010a
Holtville, CA · 32 mi
9222210a
Bard, CA · 36 mi
8536910a
Yuma, AZ · 37 mi
8536410a
Yuma, AZ · 37 mi

California planting zones →

Questions about 92266

What planting zone is ZIP code 92266?

ZIP code 92266 (Palo Verde, 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 92266 get?

About 3.6 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Blythe Airport station).

How hot do summers get in Palo Verde, CA?

The average high peaks at 109 °F in July, with about 179 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 92266 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Torriorthents at the center of ZIP 92266: extremely gravelly sand, somewhat excessively drained, pH about 8.0 (alkaline).

Did spring come early in Palo Verde, CA in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 92266 came on Jan 18 in 2026, 5 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 23), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Palo Verde, CA?

Intermediate onions: the longest day near 92266 is 14 h 21 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.