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

Planting zone for 95055 — Santa Clara, CA

ZIP code 95055 (Santa Clara, Santa Clara County) is in USDA zone 9b: the coldest winter night averages 25 to 30 °F.

Where ZIP 95055 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.

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 Santa Clara, 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 San Jose, CA — 3 miles away, elevation 52 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 95055 came on Jan 27 — about the same time as the 1991–2020 average (Jan 28).

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 Santa Clara, CA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 95055 is Hangerone — clay, poorly drained. Much of the area is built over (urban land); this is the natural soil underneath.

TextureClayholds water and nutrients; slow to drain and warm up
pH8.3alkaline; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainagePoorly drainedconsider raised beds
Organic matter2%moderate
Hydrologic groupCwater soaks in slowly
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Urbanland-Hangerone complex, 0 to 2 percent slopes, drained.

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 95055; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Santa Clara, CA

Summer high81 °Faverage high, July
Winter low42 °Faverage low, January
Hot days16days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights3nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days4,040base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 44 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 35 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation15.6 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32 °FJanuary: average high 60 °F, low 42 °F 60°42° JanFebruary: average high 62 °F, low 44 °F 62°44° FebMarch: average high 66 °F, low 46 °F 66°46° MarApril: average high 69 °F, low 48 °F 69°48° AprMay: average high 74 °F, low 52 °F 74°52° MayJune: average high 79 °F, low 56 °F 79°56° JunJuly: average high 81 °F, low 58 °F 81°58° JulAugust: average high 81 °F, low 59 °F 81°59° AugSeptember: average high 81 °F, low 57 °F 81°57° SepOctober: average high 76 °F, low 53 °F 76°53° OctNovember: average high 66 °F, low 46 °F 66°46° NovDecember: average high 60 °F, low 42 °F 60°42° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″2″3″4″January: 3.15 in precipitation 3.1 JanFebruary: 3.30 in precipitation 3.3 FebMarch: 2.39 in precipitation 2.4 MarApril: 1.09 in precipitation 1.1 AprMay: 0.54 in precipitation 0.5 MayJune: 0.10 in precipitation 0.1 JunJuly: 0.00 in precipitation 0.0 JulAugust: 0.04 in precipitation 0.0 AugSeptember: 0.08 in precipitation 0.1 SepOctober: 0.58 in precipitation 0.6 OctNovember: 1.38 in precipitation 1.4 NovDecember: 2.91 in precipitation 2.9 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: San Jose, CA (3 mi away); precipitation: Sunnyvale 1.9 Se, CA (2 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

All 8 nearest ZIP codes share zone 9b.

950519b
Santa Clara, CA · <1 mi
950529b
Santa Clara, CA · 1 mi
950509b
Santa Clara, CA · 1 mi
950539b
Santa Clara, CA · 2 mi
951179b
San Jose, CA · 3 mi
951599b
San Jose, CA · 3 mi
951709b
San Jose, CA · 3 mi
951299b
San Jose, CA · 3 mi

All 7 ZIP codes in Santa Clara → · California planting zones →

Questions about 95055

What planting zone is ZIP code 95055?

ZIP code 95055 (Santa Clara, 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 95055 get?

About 15.6 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Sunnyvale 1.9 Se station).

How hot do summers get in Santa Clara, CA?

The average high peaks at 81 °F in July, with about 16 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 95055 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Hangerone at the center of ZIP 95055: clay, poorly drained, pH about 8.3 (alkaline).

Did spring come early in Santa Clara, CA in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 95055 came on Jan 27 in 2026, about the same as the 1991–2020 average (Jan 28), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Santa Clara, CA?

Intermediate onions: the longest day near 95055 is 14 h 44 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.