Your nature year
Long Beach, Californiathrough the year
Also for Anaheim, CA, Irvine, CA, Santa Ana, CA, Huntington Beach, CA, Garden Grove, CA, Orange, CA, Costa Mesa, CA, West Covina, CA, Norwalk, CA, Westminster, CA, Whittier, CA, Newport Beach, CA, Tustin, CA, Lakewood, CA, Bellflower, CA, Baldwin Park, CA, Yorba Linda, CA, La Habra, CA, Fountain Valley, CA, Placentia, CA, Brea, CA, La Mirada, CA, La Puente, CA: the same nearby places.
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Long Beach?
Leaves usually come out around Jan 21 and the first flowers around Feb 9. About 3 weeks pass between first leaf and first bloom here.
Frost usually lets go around Jan 9 and comes back around Jan 5, according to the nearest NOAA station, Torrance Airport: roughly -4 days without it. Channel Islands, 71 miles from Long Beach, is the nearest wildflowers spot on this site, by late January through March, during a normal year of rainfall (usually). Cabrillo (93 mi) is the pick for wildlife by season, Mid-January is the peak time for migration, but whales are visible from mid- to late December through March (usually). We follow 6 places within 150 miles of Long Beach; the nearest lies 71 miles to the northwest. Statewide, California's fall color is usually well under way by late October.
Updated Sep 29. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Near Long Beach right now
- Fall color is usually well under way by late October in CaliforniaStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast~4 weeks
- First fall frost usually around Jan 5 · last spring frost around Jan 9NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Torrance Airport (10 mi, 50% dates)~3 months
- San Diego Refuge · 102 mi · Local timing: common in the bird list's Fall (September through October) and Winter (November through February) seasonsWinter wildlife · in its window now
- Wildlife by season · Cabrillo · 93 miUsually: Mid-January is the peak time for migration, but whales are visible from mid- to late December through March~3 months
Your guide around Long Beach
Nearby, season by season
Desert superbloom
- Carrizo Plain · 124 miUsually: late March to early April~6 months
- Joshua Tree · 134 miLocal timing: January to mid-April low down, early March to early May at 3,000 to 5,000 feet, April through June above 5,000 feet~3 months
Wildflowers
- Channel Islands · 71 miUsually: by late January through March, during a normal year of rainfall~4 months
- Cabrillo · 93 miUsually: typically between late March and early April~6 months
- Laguna Meadow · 117 miLocal timing: Wildflower viewing is best in May and June~7 months
Wildlife by season
- Cabrillo · 93 miUsually: Mid-January is the peak time for migration, but whales are visible from mid- to late December through March~3 months
Winter wildlife
- San Diego Refuge · 102 miLocal timing: common in the bird list's Fall (September through October) and Winter (November through February) seasons
Long Beach's nature year
- Wildflowers · Channel IslandsJan–Mar
- Jan: Spring green-upJan
- Jan: Last spring frostJan
- Jan: First fall frostJan
- Jan: Wildlife by season · CabrilloJan
- Desert superbloom · Carrizo PlainMar–Apr
- Winter wildlife · San Diego RefugeNowSep–Feb
- Oct: Fall color (CA)Oct
Long Beach's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Jan 9 to ~Jan 5
- First leaf ~Jan 21
- First bloom ~Feb 9
- Fall color under way ~Oct 28 (CA)
- Today
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Jan 9
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Jan 5
About -4 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Jan 21
First bloom around Feb 9
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Torrance Airport (10 mi from Long Beach), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Long Beach?
On average around Jan 5, and the last spring frost around Jan 9: about -4 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Torrance Airport, 10 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Long Beach?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Jan 21 and first bloom around Feb 9, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see desert superbloom near Long Beach?
Carrizo Plain, 124 miles (usually: late March to early April); Joshua Tree, 134 miles (local timing: January to mid-April low down, early March to early May at 3,000 to 5,000 feet, April through June above 5,000 feet). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near Long Beach?
Channel Islands, 71 miles (usually: by late January through March, during a normal year of rainfall); Cabrillo, 93 miles (usually: typically between late March and early April); Laguna Meadow, 117 miles (local timing: Wildflower viewing is best in May and June). Distances are straight-line.
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations (opens in a new tab) (Sep 29)