Your nature year
Santa Maria, Californiathrough the year
Also for Lompoc, CA: the same nearby places.
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Santa Maria?
Spring green-up reaches town around Jan 25, with first blooms around Feb 20. Frost usually lets go around Feb 4 and comes back around Dec 13, according to the nearest NOAA station, Santa Maria Public Airport: roughly 312 days without it.
Statewide, California's fall color is usually well under way by late October. Head east for the closest of the 4 places we follow around Santa Maria. The closest place we follow is Carrizo Plain, 47 miles away, for desert superbloom, late March to early April (usually). Kern Refuge (75 mi) is the pick for winter wildlife, Birding is best on the refuge from October through March (local timing).
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 Santa Maria 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 Dec 13 · last spring frost around Feb 4NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Santa Maria Public Airport (2.7 mi, 50% dates)~2 months
- Winter wildlife · Kern Refuge · 75 miLocal timing: Birding is best on the refuge from October through March~1 day
Your guide around Santa Maria
Nearby, season by season
Desert superbloom
- Carrizo Plain · 47 miUsually: late March to early April~6 months
Wildflowers
- Channel Islands · 82 miUsually: by late January through March, during a normal year of rainfall~4 months
- Pinnacles · 110 miusually March through May~5 months
Winter wildlife
- Kern Refuge · 75 miLocal timing: Birding is best on the refuge from October through March~1 day
Santa Maria's nature year
- Wildflowers · Channel IslandsJan–Mar
- Jan: Spring green-upJan
- Feb: Last spring frostFeb
- Desert superbloom · Carrizo PlainMar–Apr
- Oct: Fall color (CA)Oct
- Winter wildlife · Kern RefugeOct–Mar
- Dec: First fall frostDec
Santa Maria's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Feb 4 to ~Dec 13
- First leaf ~Jan 25
- First bloom ~Feb 20
- Fall color under way ~Oct 28 (CA)
- Today
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Feb 4
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Dec 13
About 312 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Jan 25
First bloom around Feb 20
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Santa Maria Public Airport (2.7 mi from Santa Maria), 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 Santa Maria?
On average around Dec 13, and the last spring frost around Feb 4: about 312 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Santa Maria Public Airport, 2.7 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Santa Maria?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Jan 25 and first bloom around Feb 20, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see desert superbloom near Santa Maria?
Carrizo Plain, 47 miles (usually: late March to early April). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near Santa Maria?
Channel Islands, 82 miles (usually: by late January through March, during a normal year of rainfall); Pinnacles, 110 miles (usually March through May). 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)