Frost dates / By state
Frost dates in Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Your own yard can run a little either side.
Short answer
Across 21 NOAA weather stations in Louisiana, the average last spring frost runs from January 22 at New Orleans Lakefront Airport to March 25 at Monroe 26 N. The first fall frost comes as early as November 5 at Monroe 26 N and as late as January 9 at Boothville ASOS. Planting zones near these stations run from 8b to 10a.
Louisiana cities
- Frost dates in New Orleans: last frost January 22, first frost January 5
- Frost dates in Baton Rouge: last frost February 25, first frost November 26
- Frost dates in Shreveport: last frost March 9, first frost November 18
Find yours by ZIP code
The table below is by weather station. For the station nearest you, and your planting zone, type your ZIP code.
Louisiana frost dates by weather station
| Station | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free | Zone nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria Esler Rgnl Airport 112 ft | March 16 1 in 10 after April 6 | November 8 1 in 10 by October 26 | 237 days | 9a |
| Alexandria Intl Airport 84 ft | March 2 1 in 10 after March 25 | November 17 1 in 10 by November 1 | 260 days | 9a |
| Baton Rouge Ryan Airport 64 ft | February 25 1 in 10 after March 19 | November 26 1 in 10 by November 7 | 274 days | 9a |
| Boothville ASOS 3 ft | January 23 1 in 10 after February 25 | January 9 1 in 10 by December 18 | 351 days | 10a |
| Ft Polk Fullerton Lndg Strip 310 ft | March 1 1 in 10 after March 24 | November 23 1 in 10 by November 4 | 267 days | 9a |
| Lafayette 13 SE 35 ft | February 19 1 in 10 after March 16 | December 1 1 in 10 by November 9 | 285 days | 9a |
| Lafayette Rgnl Airport 38 ft | February 13 1 in 10 after March 10 | December 4 1 in 10 by November 13 | 294 days | 9a |
| Lake Charles 13 ft | February 14 1 in 10 after March 11 | December 7 1 in 10 by November 14 | 296 days | 9b |
| Monroe 26 N 88 ft | March 25 1 in 10 after April 10 | November 5 1 in 10 by October 20 | 225 days | 8b |
| Monroe Rgnl Airport 79 ft | March 8 1 in 10 after March 25 | November 15 1 in 10 by November 1 | 252 days | 8b |
| New Iberia Acadiana Rgnl Airport 24 ft | February 14 1 in 10 after March 11 | December 5 1 in 10 by November 14 | 294 days | 9a |
| New Orleans Alvin Callender Fl 5 ft | February 18 1 in 10 after March 13 | December 6 1 in 10 by November 15 | 291 days | 9b |
| New Orleans Audubon 20 ft | January 24 1 in 10 after February 23 | January 2 1 in 10 by December 5 | 343 days | 9b |
| New Orleans Intl Airport 4 ft | January 30 1 in 10 after February 27 | December 31 1 in 10 by December 1 | 335 days | 9b |
| New Orleans Lakefront Airport 9 ft | January 22 1 in 10 after February 23 | January 5 1 in 10 by December 13 | 348 days | 9b |
| Peason Ridge Range 365 ft | March 8 1 in 10 after March 26 | November 18 1 in 10 by November 2 | 255 days | 9a |
| Salt Point 4 ft | February 2 1 in 10 after March 1 | December 26 1 in 10 by November 29 | 327 days | – |
| Shreveport 273 ft | March 9 1 in 10 after March 29 | November 18 1 in 10 by November 2 | 254 days | 8b |
| Shreveport Dwtn Airport 179 ft | February 28 1 in 10 after March 19 | November 24 1 in 10 by November 7 | 269 days | 8b |
| Slidell Airport 27 ft | March 3 1 in 10 after March 26 | November 21 1 in 10 by November 4 | 263 days | 9a |
| Tallulah Vicksburg Airport 86 ft | March 3 1 in 10 after March 20 | November 11 1 in 10 by October 29 | 253 days | 8b |
The average date is NOAA's 50% date: half of years have a later last frost, or an earlier first one. Plan by the 1-in-10 date if a freeze would cost you plants. Stations are NOAA's main weather stations, mostly airports. “Zone nearby” is the USDA 2023 zone of the nearest ZIP code within 10 miles. NOAA counts the frost season from August to July, so in the warmest places the “first fall” freeze lands after New Year.
How these dates work
Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals, which work out from each weather station's daily lows how likely the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze (32 °F) are by each date. We use the station nearest the middle of your ZIP code and show its height and distance, since a station on a hill or by a lake can differ from your yard.
The average date is the 50% date: half of years have a freeze after the spring date or before the fall one. The 1-in-10 dates are NOAA's 10% dates, the ones to plan by if a late freeze would cost you plants. Within one yard, cold air pools in low spots while walls and paving hold heat, so some corners freeze before others.
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Where the numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University (zone data)
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal
- NOAA, Normals calculation methodology (frost-freeze probability dates)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 ZCTA gazetteer (ZIP code centers)