Frost dates for New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans doesn't get a freezing night every winter: about 71 years in 100 have one. In those years, half have had their last frost by January 22 and half their first by January 5.
Frost dates for
New Orleans, Louisiana
Last spring frost
January 22
Not every winter has one: about 71 years in 100 have a freezing night here. In those years, half have their last frost by this date, and 1 in 10 still have one after February 23.
First fall frost
January 5
In years with a freeze, half have their first one by this date, and 1 in 10 by December 13.
Growing season
348 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 310.
Hardiness zone
9b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 25°F to 30°F. It was 9b on the 2012 map too. All 3 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 9b.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's New Orleans Lakefront Airport (6 miles away, at 10 feet above sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of January 22 and a typical first frost of January 5. NOAA's Chalmette (8 miles away, at at sea level) gives a typical last frost of February 10 and a typical first frost of December 17. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from January 22 to February 10 and the typical first frost from December 17 to January 5, depending on whether your garden is more like one or the other. Local terrain matters: hillsides, valley floors, water and city heat can change frost dates a lot over a few miles. Treat the dates here as a starting point, and compare with a nearby gardener or your county extension office.
Print a year planner for New Orleans
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 | December 28 | January 22 | February 23 |
| First frost in fall | December 13 | January 5 | February 1 |
The frost-free season between them runs 348 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 there is no freeze at all, and in 1 year in 10 it is 310 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): about 34 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on January 18 and the first on January 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): about 95 years in 100 have one. In those years the last typically comes on February 4 and the first on December 26. 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.
Planting calendar for New Orleans
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.
Frost doesn't come every year here: about 71 years in 100 have at least one freezing night. The calendar is built on the dates for the years that do.
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.
Your typical last frost comes before mid-February. Where winters are this mild, summer heat limits the garden as much as frost does, and most planting happens in fall and late winter. Your county's extension office publishes a calendar made for your climate.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 8 to 22 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 8 to 22 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| January 22 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| February | ||
| February 5 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| February 5 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| August | ||
| August 10 to 24 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 28 |
| August 30 to September 13 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by October 18 |
| October | ||
| October 9 | 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 |
| October 13 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 14 | 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 |
| October 18 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 19 | 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 |
| October 23 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 2 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November 6 to December 4 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| November 12 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November 20 to December 18 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| November 22 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| December | ||
| December 4 to 25 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| December 11 to 25 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| December 13 | 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 18 to January 1 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| December 25 to January 8 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| December 25 to January 8 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 32 days later. That plans around February 23, 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 New Orleans Lakefront Airport (station USW00053917), 6 miles from the center of New Orleans. It sits at about the same elevation, 10 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as representative: at least 10 of the 30 years, with the gaps filled from nearby stations.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 6 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 70122, 70124, 70126, 70127, 70128, 70148. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Gulfport, Mississippi: last frost around February 23, first frost around December 3 (60 miles away)
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana: last frost around February 25, first frost around November 26 (75 miles away)
- Hattiesburg, Mississippi: last frost around March 8, first frost around November 15 (95 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.