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

Planting zone for 93311 — Bakersfield, CA

ZIP code 93311 (Bakersfield, Kern County) is in USDA zone 9b: the coldest winter night averages 25 to 30 °F.

Where ZIP 93311 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 Bakersfield, 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 Taft, CA — 15 miles away, elevation 774 ft) the median growing season is 330 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 93311 came on Jan 30 — about the same time as 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 Bakersfield, CA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 93311 is Fages — clay, moderately well drained.

TextureClayholds water and nutrients; slow to drain and warm up
pH8.1alkaline; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageModerately well drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter0.9%low — add compost
Hydrologic groupDwater soaks in very slowly
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Fages clay, 0 to 1 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 93311; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Bakersfield, CA

Summer high99 °Faverage high, July
Winter low41 °Faverage low, January
Hot days113days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights7nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days5,940base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 32 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 47 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation8.6 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°110°32 °FJanuary: average high 59 °F, low 41 °F 59°41° JanFebruary: average high 63 °F, low 44 °F 63°44° FebMarch: average high 70 °F, low 48 °F 70°48° MarApril: average high 76 °F, low 50 °F 76°50° AprMay: average high 84 °F, low 56 °F 84°56° MayJune: average high 93 °F, low 60 °F 93°60° JunJuly: average high 99 °F, low 68 °F 99°68° JulAugust: average high 98 °F, low 66 °F 98°66° AugSeptember: average high 92 °F, low 62 °F 92°62° SepOctober: average high 81 °F, low 54 °F 81°54° OctNovember: average high 67 °F, low 47 °F 67°47° NovDecember: average high 59 °F, low 41 °F 59°41° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″2″January: 1.34 in precipitation 1.3 JanFebruary: 1.81 in precipitation 1.8 FebMarch: 1.47 in precipitation 1.5 MarApril: 0.90 in precipitation 0.9 AprMay: 0.39 in precipitation 0.4 MayJune: 0.08 in precipitation 0.1 JunJuly: 0.06 in precipitation 0.1 JulAugust: 0.03 in precipitation 0.0 AugSeptember: 0.13 in precipitation 0.1 SepOctober: 0.47 in precipitation 0.5 OctNovember: 0.59 in precipitation 0.6 NovDecember: 1.36 in precipitation 1.4 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Taft, CA (15 mi away); precipitation: Bakersfield 6.1 Wsw, CA (12 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

All 8 nearest ZIP codes share zone 9b.

933139b
Bakersfield, CA · 7 mi
932689b
Taft, CA · 14 mi
933079b
Bakersfield, CA · 14 mi
933099b
Bakersfield, CA · 14 mi
933049b
Bakersfield, CA · 15 mi
932419b
Lamont, CA · 16 mi
933129b
Bakersfield, CA · 17 mi
933149b
Bakersfield, CA · 17 mi

All 22 ZIP codes in Bakersfield → · California planting zones →

Questions about 93311

What planting zone is ZIP code 93311?

ZIP code 93311 (Bakersfield, 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 93311 get?

About 8.6 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Bakersfield 6.1 Wsw station).

How hot do summers get in Bakersfield, CA?

The average high peaks at 99 °F in July, with about 113 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 93311 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Fages at the center of ZIP 93311: clay, moderately well drained, pH about 8.1 (alkaline).

Did spring come early in Bakersfield, CA in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 93311 came on Jan 30 in 2026, about the same as the 1991–2020 average (Jan 30), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Bakersfield, CA?

Intermediate onions: the longest day near 93311 is 14 h 32 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.