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

Planting zone for 94971 — Tomales, CA

ZIP code 94971 (Tomales, Marin County) is in USDA zone 9b: the coldest winter night averages 25 to 30 °F.

Where ZIP 94971 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 Tomales, 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 Occidental, CA — 11 miles away, elevation 866 ft) the median growing season is 347 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 94971 came on Jan 29 — 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 Tomales, CA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 94971 is Tomales — loam, moderately well drained.

TextureLoama good balance for most vegetables
pH6.1slightly acidic; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageModerately well drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter3.5%moderate
Hydrologic groupDwater soaks in very slowly
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Tomales loam, 9 to 15 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 94971; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Tomales, CA

Summer high78 °Faverage high, July
Winter low41 °Faverage low, December
Hot days15days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights3nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days3,083base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 50 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 30 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation32.6 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32 °FJanuary: average high 56 °F, low 42 °F 56°42° JanFebruary: average high 59 °F, low 43 °F 59°43° FebMarch: average high 61 °F, low 44 °F 61°44° MarApril: average high 66 °F, low 45 °F 66°45° AprMay: average high 70 °F, low 48 °F 70°48° MayJune: average high 76 °F, low 51 °F 76°51° JunJuly: average high 78 °F, low 52 °F 78°52° JulAugust: average high 78 °F, low 53 °F 78°53° AugSeptember: average high 77 °F, low 53 °F 77°53° SepOctober: average high 73 °F, low 52 °F 73°52° OctNovember: average high 62 °F, low 46 °F 62°46° NovDecember: average high 55 °F, low 41 °F 55°41° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″2″4″6″January: 6.43 in precipitation 6.4 JanFebruary: 6.38 in precipitation 6.4 FebMarch: 4.50 in precipitation 4.5 MarApril: 2.15 in precipitation 2.1 AprMay: 1.24 in precipitation 1.2 MayJune: 0.36 in precipitation 0.4 JunJuly: 0.03 in precipitation 0.0 JulAugust: 0.06 in precipitation 0.1 AugSeptember: 0.11 in precipitation 0.1 SepOctober: 1.74 in precipitation 1.7 OctNovember: 3.39 in precipitation 3.4 NovDecember: 6.20 in precipitation 6.2 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Occidental, CA (11 mi away); precipitation: Petaluma 10.1 W, CA (5 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

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

949409b
Marshall, CA · 2 mi
9492910a
Dillon Beach, CA · 4 mi
949529b
Petaluma, CA · 7 mi
949729b
Valley Ford, CA · 8 mi
9493710a
Inverness, CA · 8 mi
949229b
Bodega, CA · 9 mi
9492310a
Bodega Bay, CA · 10 mi
954729a
Sebastopol, CA · 12 mi

California planting zones →

Questions about 94971

What planting zone is ZIP code 94971?

ZIP code 94971 (Tomales, 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 94971 get?

About 32.6 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Petaluma 10.1 W station).

How hot do summers get in Tomales, CA?

The average high peaks at 78 °F in July, with about 15 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 94971 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Tomales at the center of ZIP 94971: loam, moderately well drained, pH about 6.1 (slightly acidic).

Did spring come early in Tomales, CA in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 94971 came on Jan 29 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 Tomales, CA?

Intermediate onions: the longest day near 94971 is 14 h 50 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.