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

Planting zone for 93940 — Monterey, CA

ZIP code 93940 (Monterey, Monterey County) is in USDA zone 10a: the coldest winter night averages 30 to 35 °F.

Where ZIP 93940 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 Monterey, 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 Monterey Peninsul Airport, CA — 3 miles away, elevation 164 ft) the median growing season is 363 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 93940 came on Jan 20 — 7 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 27).

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 Monterey, CA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 93940 is Santa Lucia — channery clay loam, well drained.

TextureChannery clay loamholds water and nutrients; slow to drain and warm up
pH5.4strongly acidic; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageWell drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter6%high
Hydrologic groupDwater soaks in very slowly
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Santa Lucia channery clay loam, 30 to 50 percent slopes, MLRA 15.

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 93940; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Monterey, CA

Summer high71 °Faverage high, September
Winter low43 °Faverage low, January
Hot days2days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights2nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days2,757base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 40 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 39 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation16.2 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

30°40°50°60°70°80°32 °FJanuary: average high 62 °F, low 43 °F 62°43° JanFebruary: average high 62 °F, low 45 °F 62°45° FebMarch: average high 63 °F, low 46 °F 63°46° MarApril: average high 63 °F, low 47 °F 63°47° AprMay: average high 65 °F, low 50 °F 65°50° MayJune: average high 68 °F, low 52 °F 68°52° JunJuly: average high 69 °F, low 54 °F 69°54° JulAugust: average high 70 °F, low 55 °F 70°55° AugSeptember: average high 71 °F, low 54 °F 71°54° SepOctober: average high 70 °F, low 51 °F 70°51° OctNovember: average high 65 °F, low 46 °F 65°46° NovDecember: average high 62 °F, low 43 °F 62°43° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″2″3″4″January: 3.49 in precipitation 3.5 JanFebruary: 3.03 in precipitation 3.0 FebMarch: 2.80 in precipitation 2.8 MarApril: 1.03 in precipitation 1.0 AprMay: 0.51 in precipitation 0.5 MayJune: 0.13 in precipitation 0.1 JunJuly: 0.02 in precipitation 0.0 JulAugust: 0.02 in precipitation 0.0 AugSeptember: 0.07 in precipitation 0.1 SepOctober: 0.86 in precipitation 0.9 OctNovember: 1.45 in precipitation 1.4 NovDecember: 2.83 in precipitation 2.8 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Monterey Peninsul Airport, CA (3 mi away); precipitation: Monterey Peninsul Airport, CA (3 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

All 8 nearest ZIP codes share zone 10a.

9395510a
Seaside, CA · 4 mi
9394210a
Monterey, CA · 6 mi
9392110a
Carmel By The Sea, CA · 7 mi
9394410a
Monterey, CA · 7 mi
9392210a
Carmel, CA · 7 mi
9395010a
Pacific Grove, CA · 8 mi
9395310a
Pebble Beach, CA · 8 mi
9393310a
Marina, CA · 8 mi

All 3 ZIP codes in Monterey → · California planting zones →

Questions about 93940

What planting zone is ZIP code 93940?

ZIP code 93940 (Monterey, 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 93940 get?

About 16.2 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Monterey Peninsul Airport station).

How hot do summers get in Monterey, CA?

The average high peaks at 71 °F in September, with about 2 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 93940 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Santa Lucia at the center of ZIP 93940: channery clay loam, well drained, pH about 5.4 (strongly acidic).

Did spring come early in Monterey, CA in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 93940 came on Jan 20 in 2026, 7 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 27), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Monterey, CA?

Intermediate onions: the longest day near 93940 is 14 h 40 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.