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.
Look up your ZIP code
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
| Place | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Season | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | February 25 | November 26 | 276 days | 9a |
| Lafayette | February 13* | December 4* | 299 days | 9a |
| New Orleans | January 22* | January 5* | 348 days | 9b |
| Shreveport | March 9 | November 18 | 255 days | 8b |
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.
| Station | Elevation (feet) | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | 90 | February 27 | November 27 | 274 |
| Alexandria 5 SSE | 90 | March 3 | November 22 | 263 |
| Alexandria Esler Regional Airport | 110 | March 16 | November 8 | 239 |
| Alexandria International Airport | 90 | March 2 | November 17 | 260 |
| Amite | 170 | March 7 | November 18 | 257 |
| Ashland | 240 | March 24 | November 7 | 229 |
| Bastrop | 150 | March 15 | November 12 | 241 |
| Baton Rouge Ryan Airport | 70 | February 25 | November 26 | 276 |
| Benton 5 E | 200 | March 14 | November 14 | 246 |
| Bienville 3 NE | 310 | March 19 | November 9 | 237 |
| Bogalusa | 100 | March 2 | November 23 | 265 |
| Boothville Asos | 0 | January 23* | January 9* | 357 |
| Boyce 3 WNW | 110 | March 2 | November 27 | 271 |
| Brusly 2 W | 20 | February 28 | November 24 | 268 |
| Bunkie | 80 | February 28 | November 24 | 270 |
| Buras | 10 | January 25* | January 4* | 346 |
| Calhoun Research Station | 120 | March 28 | November 5 | 224 |
| Carville 2 SW | 30 | February 9* | December 13* | 308 |
| Chalmette | 0 | February 10* | December 17* | 309 |
| Clinton 5 SE | 200 | March 13 | November 17 | 251 |
| Columbia Lock | 80 | March 5 | November 22 | 263 |
| Covington 4 NNW | 40 | March 12 | November 18 | 253 |
| Crowley 2 NE | 30 | February 20 | December 4 | 291 |
| De Ridder | 190 | March 1 | November 25 | 269 |
| Donaldsonville 4 SW | 30 | February 21 | December 5 | 291 |
| Elizabeth | 150 | March 3 | November 25 | 268 |
| Eunice | 50 | February 26 | November 27 | 276 |
| Farmerville | 180 | March 14 | November 16 | 246 |
| Fort Polk Fullerton Landing Strip | 310 | March 1 | November 23 | 268 |
| Franklin 3 NW | 10 | February 11* | December 8* | 303 |
| Galliano | 10 | February 8* | December 19* | 311 |
| Grand Coteau | 60 | February 28 | November 23 | 267 |
| Hackberry 8 SSW | 10 | February 3* | December 24* | 323 |
| Hammond 5 E | 40 | March 8 | November 19 | 257 |
| Hodges Gardens | 420 | March 3 | November 27 | 267 |
| Homer 1 N | 220 | March 30 | November 6 | 221 |
| Houma | 10 | February 5* | December 17* | 312 |
| Jeanerette 5 NW | 20 | February 15* | December 3* | 294 |
| Jena | 140 | March 19 | November 12 | 238 |
| Jennings | 30 | February 19* | December 4* | 292 |
| Jonesville Locks | 70 | March 6 | November 22 | 261 |
| Lafayette | 30 | February 26 | November 28 | 279 |
| Lafayette 13 SE | 40 | February 19 | December 1 | 289 |
| Lafayette Regional Airport | 40 | February 13* | December 4* | 299 |
| Lake Arthur 7 SW | 10 | February 10* | December 11* | 307 |
| Lake Charles | 10 | February 14* | December 7* | 299 |
| Lake Providence | 100 | March 5 | November 24 | 263 |
| Leesville | 30 | March 20 | November 9 | 234 |
| Leland Bowman Lock | 40 | February 17* | December 5* | 298 |
| Lsu Ben-Hur Farm | 20 | February 28 | November 26 | 272 |
| Lsu Citrus Research Station | 0 | February 3* | December 28* | 327 |
| Lsu Dean Lee Research Station | 70 | March 1 | November 22 | 267 |
| Mansfield 4 NW | 320 | March 8 | November 20 | 255 |
| Many | 260 | March 20 | November 9 | 236 |
| Marrero 9 SSW | 0 | February 10* | December 12* | 306 |
| Minden | 180 | March 17 | November 14 | 241 |
| Monroe 26 N | 90 | March 25 | November 5 | 226 |
| Monroe Delta CC | 70 | March 9 | November 14 | 248 |
| Monroe Regional Airport | 80 | March 8 | November 15 | 253 |
| Mooringsport 1 N | 200 | March 6 | November 19 | 257 |
| Morgan City | 10 | January 30* | January 1* | 335 |
| Moss Bluff 2 NNW | 30 | March 2 | November 25 | 267 |
| Natchitoches | 130 | February 28 | December 1 | 275 |
| Natchitoches #2 | 140 | March 5 | November 17 | 257 |
| New Iberia Acadiana Airport | 20 | February 10* | December 11* | 305 |
| New Iberia Acadiana Regional Airport | 20 | February 14* | December 5* | 298 |
| New Orleans Alvin Callender FL | 10 | February 18* | December 6* | 295 |
| New Orleans Audubon | 20 | January 24* | January 2* | 341 |
| New Orleans International Airport | 0 | January 30* | December 31* | 333 |
| New Orleans Lakefront Airport | 10 | January 22* | January 5* | 348 |
| New Roads 5 NE | 50 | February 19 | December 5 | 292 |
| Oberlin Fire Tower | 70 | March 1 | November 24 | 267 |
| Peason Ridge Range | 360 | March 8 | November 18 | 258 |
| Rayville | 90 | February 28 | November 26 | 271 |
| Red River Research Station | 150 | March 6 | November 18 | 256 |
| Reserve | 20 | February 9* | December 14* | 308 |
| Rockefeller WL Refuge | 0 | February 2* | December 23* | 323 |
| Rosepine Research Station | 240 | March 8 | November 21 | 259 |
| Ruston La Tech | 300 | March 11 | November 16 | 248 |
| Salt Point | 0 | February 2* | December 26* | 326 |
| Shreveport | 270 | March 9 | November 18 | 255 |
| Shreveport Downtown Airport | 180 | February 28 | November 24 | 268 |
| Shreveport Southern Hills | 200 | March 12 | November 15 | 247 |
| Shreveport WFO | 280 | March 6 | November 19 | 257 |
| Slidell | 10 | February 24 | December 1 | 281 |
| Slidell Airport | 30 | March 3 | November 21 | 263 |
| St Bernard | 10 | February 4* | December 15* | 312 |
| St Francisville 1 NE | 130 | March 2 | November 24 | 268 |
| St Joseph 3 N | 80 | March 13 | November 10 | 242 |
| St Martinville 3 SW | 30 | February 21 | November 27 | 280 |
| Tallulah | 90 | March 2 | November 24 | 271 |
| Tallulah Vicksburg Airport | 90 | March 3 | November 11 | 254 |
| Terrytown 3 S | 10 | February 1* | December 31* | 330 |
| Thibodaux 4 SE | 20 | February 5* | December 14* | 311 |
| Toledo Bend Lake | 180 | March 1 | November 30 | 272 |
| Winnfield 3 N | 160 | March 13 | November 10 | 242 |
| Winnsboro 2 SE | 80 | March 7 | November 13 | 252 |
| Winnsboro 5 SSE | 80 | March 10 | November 16 | 250 |
*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.