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

Planting zone for 92328 — Death Valley, CA

ZIP code 92328 (Death Valley, Inyo County) is in USDA zone 9a: the coldest winter night averages 20 to 25 °F.

Where ZIP 92328 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.

Zone9a20 to 25 °F
Coldest night−6.7 to −3.9 °C
Last frostrare
First frostrare
2012 zone9a

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 9a means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Death Valley, 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 Death Valley Np, CA — 9 miles away, elevation -194 ft) the median growing season is 350 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 92328 came on Jan 21 — 9 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 30).

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 Death Valley, CA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 92328 is Lithic Torriorthents — very gravelly fine sandy loam, somewhat excessively drained.

TextureVery gravelly fine sandy loamdrains and warms fast; dries out and needs more feeding
pH7.8slightly alkaline; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageSomewhat excessively drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter0.3%low — add compost
Hydrologic groupDwater soaks in very slowly
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Lithic Torriorthents, Typic Haplocalcids, and Rock outcrop; hyperthermic hills and mountains.

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 92328; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Death Valley, CA

Summer high117 °Faverage high, July
Winter low41 °Faverage low, December
Hot days197days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights9nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days10,583base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 39 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 41 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation2.2 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°110°120°130°32 °FJanuary: average high 67 °F, low 43 °F 67°43° JanFebruary: average high 74 °F, low 49 °F 74°49° FebMarch: average high 83 °F, low 57 °F 83°57° MarApril: average high 91 °F, low 65 °F 91°65° AprMay: average high 101 °F, low 75 °F 101°75° MayJune: average high 111 °F, low 84 °F 111°84° JunJuly: average high 117 °F, low 91 °F 117°91° JulAugust: average high 116 °F, low 89 °F 116°89° AugSeptember: average high 108 °F, low 79 °F 108°79° SepOctober: average high 93 °F, low 64 °F 93°64° OctNovember: average high 77 °F, low 51 °F 77°51° NovDecember: average high 66 °F, low 41 °F 66°41° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″January: 0.37 in precipitation 0.4 JanFebruary: 0.52 in precipitation 0.5 FebMarch: 0.25 in precipitation 0.3 MarApril: 0.10 in precipitation 0.1 AprMay: 0.03 in precipitation 0.0 MayJune: 0.05 in precipitation 0.1 JunJuly: 0.10 in precipitation 0.1 JulAugust: 0.10 in precipitation 0.1 AugSeptember: 0.20 in precipitation 0.2 SepOctober: 0.12 in precipitation 0.1 OctNovember: 0.10 in precipitation 0.1 NovDecember: 0.26 in precipitation 0.3 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Death Valley Np, CA (9 mi away); precipitation: Death Valley Np, CA (9 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

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

California planting zones →

Questions about 92328

What planting zone is ZIP code 92328?

ZIP code 92328 (Death Valley, CA) is in USDA hardiness zone 9a on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches 20 to 25 °F (−6.7 to −3.9 °C).

How much rain and snow does 92328 get?

About 2.2 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Death Valley Np station).

How hot do summers get in Death Valley, CA?

The average high peaks at 117 °F in July, with about 197 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 92328 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Lithic Torriorthents at the center of ZIP 92328: very gravelly fine sandy loam, somewhat excessively drained, pH about 7.8 (slightly alkaline).

Did spring come early in Death Valley, CA in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 92328 came on Jan 21 in 2026, 9 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 30), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Death Valley, CA?

Intermediate onions: the longest day near 92328 is 14 h 39 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.