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

Planting zone for 94548 — Knightsen, CA

ZIP code 94548 (Knightsen, Contra Costa County) is in USDA zone 9b: the coldest winter night averages 25 to 30 °F.

Where ZIP 94548 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 Knightsen, 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 Antioch Pumping Plt #3, CA — 6 miles away, elevation 59 ft) the median growing season is 343 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 94548 came on Jan 31 — about the same time as the 1991–2020 average (Jan 31).

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 Knightsen, CA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 94548 is Marcuse — clay, poorly drained.

TextureClayholds water and nutrients; slow to drain and warm up
pH8.2alkaline; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainagePoorly drainedconsider raised beds
Organic matter0.75%low — add compost
Hydrologic groupDwater soaks in very slowly
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Marcuse clay, moderately saline, sodic, partially drained 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 94548; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Knightsen, CA

Summer high91 °Faverage high, July
Winter low40 °Faverage low, January
Hot days64days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights7nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days4,827base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 48 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 32 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation12.6 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32 °FJanuary: average high 56 °F, low 40 °F 56°40° JanFebruary: average high 61 °F, low 44 °F 61°44° FebMarch: average high 67 °F, low 47 °F 67°47° MarApril: average high 72 °F, low 50 °F 72°50° AprMay: average high 79 °F, low 54 °F 79°54° MayJune: average high 86 °F, low 59 °F 86°59° JunJuly: average high 91 °F, low 61 °F 91°61° JulAugust: average high 90 °F, low 60 °F 90°60° AugSeptember: average high 87 °F, low 59 °F 87°59° SepOctober: average high 78 °F, low 54 °F 78°54° OctNovember: average high 65 °F, low 46 °F 65°46° NovDecember: average high 56 °F, low 40 °F 56°40° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″2″3″January: 2.68 in precipitation 2.7 JanFebruary: 2.36 in precipitation 2.4 FebMarch: 1.95 in precipitation 1.9 MarApril: 0.91 in precipitation 0.9 AprMay: 0.38 in precipitation 0.4 MayJune: 0.11 in precipitation 0.1 JunJuly: 0.00 in precipitation 0.0 JulAugust: 0.02 in precipitation 0.0 AugSeptember: 0.06 in precipitation 0.1 SepOctober: 0.42 in precipitation 0.4 OctNovember: 1.18 in precipitation 1.2 NovDecember: 2.53 in precipitation 2.5 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Antioch Pumping Plt #3, CA (6 mi away); precipitation: Antioch Pumping Plt #3, CA (6 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

All 8 nearest ZIP codes share zone 9b.

California planting zones →

Questions about 94548

What planting zone is ZIP code 94548?

ZIP code 94548 (Knightsen, 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 94548 get?

About 12.6 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Antioch Pumping Plt #3 station).

How hot do summers get in Knightsen, CA?

The average high peaks at 91 °F in July, with about 64 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 94548 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Marcuse at the center of ZIP 94548: clay, poorly drained, pH about 8.2 (alkaline).

Did spring come early in Knightsen, CA in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 94548 came on Jan 31 in 2026, about the same as the 1991–2020 average (Jan 31), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Knightsen, CA?

Intermediate onions: the longest day near 94548 is 14 h 48 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.