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

Planting zone for 92280 — Vidal, CA

ZIP code 92280 (Vidal, San Bernardino County) is in USDA zone 9b: the coldest winter night averages 25 to 30 °F.

Where ZIP 92280 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.

Zone9b25 to 30 °F
Coldest night−3.9 to −1.1 °C
Last frostrare
First frostrare
2012 zone9b

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 9b means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Vidal, 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 Iron Mtn, CA — 8 miles away, elevation 922 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 92280 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 Vidal, CA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 92280 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 92280; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Vidal, CA

Summer high109 °Faverage high, July
Winter low45 °Faverage low, December
Hot days176days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights1nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days9,253base 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
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 66 °F, low 46 °F 66°46° JanFebruary: average high 71 °F, low 49 °F 71°49° FebMarch: average high 78 °F, low 54 °F 78°54° MarApril: average high 85 °F, low 60 °F 85°60° AprMay: average high 95 °F, low 69 °F 95°69° MayJune: average high 104 °F, low 77 °F 104°77° JunJuly: average high 109 °F, low 83 °F 109°83° JulAugust: average high 108 °F, low 82 °F 108°82° AugSeptember: average high 102 °F, low 75 °F 102°75° SepOctober: average high 89 °F, low 64 °F 89°64° OctNovember: average high 75 °F, low 52 °F 75°52° NovDecember: average high 64 °F, low 45 °F 64°45° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″January: 0.59 in precipitation 0.6 JanFebruary: 0.60 in precipitation 0.6 FebMarch: 0.40 in precipitation 0.4 MarApril: 0.07 in precipitation 0.1 AprMay: 0.07 in precipitation 0.1 MayJune: 0.01 in precipitation 0.0 JunJuly: 0.28 in precipitation 0.3 JulAugust: 0.41 in precipitation 0.4 AugSeptember: 0.36 in precipitation 0.4 SepOctober: 0.13 in precipitation 0.1 OctNovember: 0.11 in precipitation 0.1 NovDecember: 0.62 in precipitation 0.6 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Iron Mtn, CA (8 mi away); precipitation: Eagle Mtn, CA (35 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

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

9223910a
Desert Center, CA · 28 mi
922259b
Blythe, CA · 34 mi
853719a
Poston, AZ · 36 mi
922429b
Earp, CA · 39 mi
922269b
Blythe, CA · 41 mi
8640310a
Lake Havasu City, AZ · 44 mi
853449b
Parker, AZ · 44 mi
8640510a
Lake Havasu City, AZ · 45 mi

California planting zones →

Questions about 92280

What planting zone is ZIP code 92280?

ZIP code 92280 (Vidal, CA) is in USDA hardiness zone 9b on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches 25 to 30 °F (−3.9 to −1.1 °C).

How much rain and snow does 92280 get?

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

How hot do summers get in Vidal, CA?

The average high peaks at 109 °F in July, with about 176 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 92280 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Torriorthents at the center of ZIP 92280: extremely gravelly sand, somewhat excessively drained, pH about 8.0 (alkaline).

Did spring come early in Vidal, CA in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 92280 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 Vidal, CA?

Intermediate onions: the longest day near 92280 is 14 h 26 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.