USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 70131 — New Orleans, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Chalmette, LA (3 ft), 2 miles north.
Updated
In New Orleans, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 10 in half of years and has passed by March 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 17, as early as November 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 309 days (NOAA, Chalmette, LA).
- Last spring frost
- February 10
- First fall frost
- December 17
- Growing season
- 309 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 11%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in New Orleans
Half of springs at Chalmette, LA see their last 32°F night by February 10; only one in ten is past it by January 12, and one in ten still has one after March 8. Planting tender crops after February 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after February 28 20%, and after March 8 10%. The 26 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 76% of the 88 Louisiana stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by December 17 in half of years, as early as November 21 one year in ten, and holds off past January 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around January 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 21, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 309 days in a typical year, longer than at 88% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 343 days one year in ten and falls short of 273 one year in ten. On average 6 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 16 days longer, to about February 26, and return around November 29. A 24°F night is unusual: 42% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jan 30 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 |
| 28°F80% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 21 |
| 24°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F13% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 26 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 |
| 28°F80% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 30 |
| 24°F42% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F13% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Chalmette, LA, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 70131 →Compare New Orleans with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Terrytown 3S, LA, 3 miles west of New Orleans, has a last frost 9 days earlier (February 1), a first frost 14 days later (December 31), a season 21 days longer.
When it snows in New Orleans, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Terrytown 3S, LA, 2.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 70131
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 2 – December 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 16 – December 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 13 – January 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 10 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by December 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 17 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 70131 is 2 miles from Chalmette, LA, which stands at 3 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 70117 (New Orleans). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 70131 in zone 9b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across Louisiana →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.