Frost dates in Louisiana

Across Louisiana's 69 NOAA stations with a frost every year, the typical last spring frost ranges from February 19 at New Roads 5 NE (50 feet above sea level) to March 30 at Homer 1 N (220 feet above sea level). The middle station's date is March 5.

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Last frost across Louisiana

The frost-free season runs from 221 days at Homer 1 N to 292 days at New Roads 5 NE.

The station with the latest frost is about 140 miles farther north than the one with the earliest.

At 29 stations a freezing night doesn't come every winter, so the dates there apply only to the years that have one.

These are typical dates: in half of springs the last frost comes later. Each place's page, and each ZIP code lookup, also gives the late-year date, after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost. That's the safer date for tender plants.

Frost dates for Louisiana's larger places

PlaceLast spring frostFirst fall frostSeasonZone
Baton RougeFebruary 25November 26276 days9a
LafayetteFebruary 13*December 4*299 days9a
New OrleansJanuary 22*January 5*348 days9b
ShreveportMarch 9November 18255 days8b

Typical (1-in-2) dates. Each place's page has the early and late years, a planting calendar and a printable planner. Zones are for the ZIP code nearest each place's center. *Not every winter has a freeze here; the date is for the years that do.

Hardiness zones in Louisiana

Louisiana's 710 ZIP codes in the USDA list fall in zones 8b to 10a: 8b (27 percent), 9a (48 percent), 9b (24 percent) and 10a (1 percent). Compared with the 2012 map, 47 percent of them moved to a warmer half zone (1 by a full zone or more) and 53 percent stayed the same.

A hardiness zone is about the coldest night of winter, which decides which shrubs, trees and perennials survive. Frost dates are about spring and fall, which decide when to plant. You need both. Read more about what the zones mean and what changed in 2023.

Every NOAA station in Louisiana

All 98 stations in Louisiana with frost statistics in NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals, from A to Z. Station names are usually a town, an airport, or a distance and direction from a town. Find one near you and at a similar elevation.

StationElevation (feet)Last spring frostFirst fall frostSeason (days)
Alexandria90February 27November 27274
Alexandria 5 SSE90March 3November 22263
Alexandria Esler Regional Airport110March 16November 8239
Alexandria International Airport90March 2November 17260
Amite170March 7November 18257
Ashland240March 24November 7229
Bastrop150March 15November 12241
Baton Rouge Ryan Airport70February 25November 26276
Benton 5 E200March 14November 14246
Bienville 3 NE310March 19November 9237
Bogalusa100March 2November 23265
Boothville Asos0January 23*January 9*357
Boyce 3 WNW110March 2November 27271
Brusly 2 W20February 28November 24268
Bunkie80February 28November 24270
Buras10January 25*January 4*346
Calhoun Research Station120March 28November 5224
Carville 2 SW30February 9*December 13*308
Chalmette0February 10*December 17*309
Clinton 5 SE200March 13November 17251
Columbia Lock80March 5November 22263
Covington 4 NNW40March 12November 18253
Crowley 2 NE30February 20December 4291
De Ridder190March 1November 25269
Donaldsonville 4 SW30February 21December 5291
Elizabeth150March 3November 25268
Eunice50February 26November 27276
Farmerville180March 14November 16246
Fort Polk Fullerton Landing Strip310March 1November 23268
Franklin 3 NW10February 11*December 8*303
Galliano10February 8*December 19*311
Grand Coteau60February 28November 23267
Hackberry 8 SSW10February 3*December 24*323
Hammond 5 E40March 8November 19257
Hodges Gardens420March 3November 27267
Homer 1 N220March 30November 6221
Houma10February 5*December 17*312
Jeanerette 5 NW20February 15*December 3*294
Jena140March 19November 12238
Jennings30February 19*December 4*292
Jonesville Locks70March 6November 22261
Lafayette30February 26November 28279
Lafayette 13 SE40February 19December 1289
Lafayette Regional Airport40February 13*December 4*299
Lake Arthur 7 SW10February 10*December 11*307
Lake Charles10February 14*December 7*299
Lake Providence100March 5November 24263
Leesville30March 20November 9234
Leland Bowman Lock40February 17*December 5*298
Lsu Ben-Hur Farm20February 28November 26272
Lsu Citrus Research Station0February 3*December 28*327
Lsu Dean Lee Research Station70March 1November 22267
Mansfield 4 NW320March 8November 20255
Many260March 20November 9236
Marrero 9 SSW0February 10*December 12*306
Minden180March 17November 14241
Monroe 26 N90March 25November 5226
Monroe Delta CC70March 9November 14248
Monroe Regional Airport80March 8November 15253
Mooringsport 1 N200March 6November 19257
Morgan City10January 30*January 1*335
Moss Bluff 2 NNW30March 2November 25267
Natchitoches130February 28December 1275
Natchitoches #2140March 5November 17257
New Iberia Acadiana Airport20February 10*December 11*305
New Iberia Acadiana Regional Airport20February 14*December 5*298
New Orleans Alvin Callender FL10February 18*December 6*295
New Orleans Audubon20January 24*January 2*341
New Orleans International Airport0January 30*December 31*333
New Orleans Lakefront Airport10January 22*January 5*348
New Roads 5 NE50February 19December 5292
Oberlin Fire Tower70March 1November 24267
Peason Ridge Range360March 8November 18258
Rayville90February 28November 26271
Red River Research Station150March 6November 18256
Reserve20February 9*December 14*308
Rockefeller WL Refuge0February 2*December 23*323
Rosepine Research Station240March 8November 21259
Ruston La Tech300March 11November 16248
Salt Point0February 2*December 26*326
Shreveport270March 9November 18255
Shreveport Downtown Airport180February 28November 24268
Shreveport Southern Hills200March 12November 15247
Shreveport WFO280March 6November 19257
Slidell10February 24December 1281
Slidell Airport30March 3November 21263
St Bernard10February 4*December 15*312
St Francisville 1 NE130March 2November 24268
St Joseph 3 N80March 13November 10242
St Martinville 3 SW30February 21November 27280
Tallulah90March 2November 24271
Tallulah Vicksburg Airport90March 3November 11254
Terrytown 3 S10February 1*December 31*330
Thibodaux 4 SE20February 5*December 14*311
Toledo Bend Lake180March 1November 30272
Winnfield 3 N160March 13November 10242
Winnsboro 2 SE80March 7November 13252
Winnsboro 5 SSE80March 10November 16250

*Not every winter has a freeze at this station; the date is for the years that do.

Typical (1-in-2) dates at 32°F. For the early and late years, and a planting calendar built from your own dates, look up your ZIP code.