Frost dates for Baton Rouge, Louisiana
In Baton Rouge, half of springs have had their last frost by February 25 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after March 19), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 26, leaving about 276 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Last spring frost
February 25
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until March 19: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 26
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by November 7.
Growing season
276 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 245.
Hardiness zone
9a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 20°F to 25°F. On the 2012 map it was 8b, half a zone colder. All 11 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 9a.
Print a year planner for Baton Rouge
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | January 29 | February 25 | March 19 |
| First frost in fall | November 7 | November 26 | December 19 |
The frost-free season between them runs 276 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 311 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 245 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): about 97 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on February 6 and the first on December 11. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on March 13 and first on November 13. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in Baton Rouge comes between January 29 and March 19, a window of 49 days. That is wider than at most NOAA stations (the typical window is 31 days), so spring here is less predictable than average: lean toward the later date.
Among Louisiana's 69 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 90 percent have their typical last frost later than Baton Rouge does.
Planting calendar for Baton Rouge
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
We don't give a garlic date here. The rule we use, from the University of Minnesota Extension, counts from the first killing frost, and it works where a hard freeze comes every year before the ground freezes. Your county's extension office can tell you when to plant garlic in your climate.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 7 to 28 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| January 14 to 28 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| January 21 to February 4 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| January 28 to February 11 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 28 to February 11 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February | ||
| February 11 to 25 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 11 to 25 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 25 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| March | ||
| March 11 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| March 11 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| July | ||
| July 1 to 15 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 19 |
| July 21 to August 4 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 8 |
| August | ||
| August 30 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| September | ||
| September 3 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 4 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| September 8 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 9 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| September 13 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 23 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 3 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 13 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 7 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| December | ||
| December 10 to January 7 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| December 24 to January 21 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 22 days later. That plans around March 19, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Baton Rouge Ryan Airport (station USW00013970), 7 miles from the center of Baton Rouge. It sits at about the same elevation, 70 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for St. George, Central, Zachary and Baker.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 18 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 70706, 70714, 70726, 70739, 70770, 70785, 70786, 70791, 70805, 70806, 70807, 70811, 70812, 70813, 70814, 70815, 70818, 70819. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Lafayette, Louisiana: frost not every year (55 miles away)
- New Orleans, Louisiana: frost not every year (75 miles away)
- Gulfport, Mississippi: last frost around February 23, first frost around December 3 (125 miles away)
See frost dates across Louisiana, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.