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

Planting zone for 93116 — Goleta, CA

ZIP code 93116 (Goleta, Santa Barbara County) is in USDA zone 10a: the coldest winter night averages 30 to 35 °F.

Where ZIP 93116 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 Goleta, 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 Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, CA — within 1 mile, elevation 10 ft) the median growing season is 342 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 93116 came on Jan 18 — 6 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 24).

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 Goleta, CA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 93116 is Goleta — loam, well drained.

TextureLoama good balance for most vegetables
pH7.5slightly alkaline; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageWell drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter3%moderate
Hydrologic groupBwater soaks in moderately
Farmland classPrime farmland if irrigatedUSDA classification

Map unit: Goleta loam, 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 93116; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Goleta, CA

Summer high75 °Faverage high, August
Winter low40 °Faverage low, December
Hot days3days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights6nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days3,460base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 28 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 51 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation17.3 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32 °FJanuary: average high 64 °F, low 41 °F 64°41° JanFebruary: average high 64 °F, low 44 °F 64°44° FebMarch: average high 66 °F, low 46 °F 66°46° MarApril: average high 68 °F, low 48 °F 68°48° AprMay: average high 69 °F, low 51 °F 69°51° MayJune: average high 70 °F, low 55 °F 70°55° JunJuly: average high 73 °F, low 58 °F 73°58° JulAugust: average high 75 °F, low 58 °F 75°58° AugSeptember: average high 74 °F, low 56 °F 74°56° SepOctober: average high 73 °F, low 51 °F 73°51° OctNovember: average high 69 °F, low 44 °F 69°44° NovDecember: average high 64 °F, low 40 °F 64°40° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″2″3″4″January: 3.84 in precipitation 3.8 JanFebruary: 3.86 in precipitation 3.9 FebMarch: 3.10 in precipitation 3.1 MarApril: 0.91 in precipitation 0.9 AprMay: 0.42 in precipitation 0.4 MayJune: 0.11 in precipitation 0.1 JunJuly: 0.02 in precipitation 0.0 JulAugust: 0.01 in precipitation 0.0 AugSeptember: 0.07 in precipitation 0.1 SepOctober: 0.73 in precipitation 0.7 OctNovember: 1.27 in precipitation 1.3 NovDecember: 2.91 in precipitation 2.9 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, CA (within 1 mile); precipitation: Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, 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.

9311810a
Goleta, CA · <1 mi
9311110a
Santa Barbara, CA · 2 mi
9310610a
Santa Barbara, CA · 2 mi
9310710a
Santa Barbara, CA · 2 mi
9311010b
Santa Barbara, CA · 3 mi
9310910b
Santa Barbara, CA · 6 mi
9310110b
Santa Barbara, CA · 7 mi
9310510a
Santa Barbara, CA · 7 mi

All 4 ZIP codes in Goleta → · California planting zones →

Questions about 93116

What planting zone is ZIP code 93116?

ZIP code 93116 (Goleta, 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 93116 get?

About 17.3 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Santa Barbara Municipal Airport station).

How hot do summers get in Goleta, CA?

The average high peaks at 75 °F in August, with about 3 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 93116 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Goleta at the center of ZIP 93116: loam, well drained, pH about 7.5 (slightly alkaline).

Did spring come early in Goleta, CA in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 93116 came on Jan 18 in 2026, 6 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 24), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Goleta, CA?

Intermediate onions: the longest day near 93116 is 14 h 28 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.