USDA Hardiness Zone 10a
Frost Dates for 70357 — Golden Meadow, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Galliano, LA (5 ft), 14 miles north.
Updated
In Golden Meadow, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 8 in half of years and has passed by March 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 19, as early as November 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 311 days (NOAA, Galliano, LA).
- Last spring frost
- February 8
- First fall frost
- December 19
- Growing season
- 311 days
- Hardiness zone
- 10a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
30 to 35°F (-1.1 to 1.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Golden Meadow
Half of springs at Galliano, LA see their last 32°F night by February 8; only one in ten is past it by January 11, and one in ten still has one after March 12. Planting tender crops after February 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 2 20%, and after March 12 10%. The 32 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 97% 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 19 in half of years, as early as November 20 one year in ten, and holds off past January 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around January 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 1, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 311 days in a typical year, longer than at 89% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 350 days one year in ten and falls short of 273 one year in ten. On average 9 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 20 days longer, to about February 28, and return around December 1. A 24°F night is unusual: 38% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 21 |
| 32°F95% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 12 |
| 28°F74% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Mar 1 |
| 24°F38% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 29 |
| 32°F95% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 22 |
| 28°F74% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 11 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 24 | Feb 4 |
| 24°F38% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Galliano, 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 70357 →Compare Golden Meadow with another place →
Weather by month in Golden Meadow
August is the warmest month at Galliano, LA, averaging 89°F by day and 76°F at night; January is the coldest at 63°F and 45°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 50% of years and March still brings one in 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,261 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 85% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 43% of them (3,111) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,007. Precipitation totals 66.8 inches a year, most in July (9.2") and least in November (3.5"); May to September bring 53% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 45 | 5.6 | 76% | 4 | 189 |
| Feb | 66 | 48 | 4.2 | 50% | 2 | 235 |
| Mar | 71 | 55 | 4.7 | 21% | <1 | 411 |
| Apr | 77 | 61 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 559 |
| May | 83 | 68 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 792 |
| Jun | 88 | 74 | 6.9 | 0% | 0 | 925 |
| Jul | 89 | 76 | 9.2 | 0% | 0 | 1006 |
| Aug | 89 | 76 | 7.6 | 0% | 0 | 1007 |
| Sep | 86 | 72 | 6.6 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Oct | 80 | 63 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 658 |
| Nov | 71 | 52 | 3.5 | 20% | 1 | 363 |
| Dec | 65 | 47 | 4.7 | 56% | 2 | 235 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Galliano, LA (5 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Lsu Citrus Rsch Stn, LA, 33 miles northeast of Golden Meadow, has a last frost 5 days earlier (February 3), a first frost 9 days later (December 28), a season 16 days longer.
When it snows in Golden Meadow, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Galliano, LA, 13.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 70357
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 30 – December 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 14 – December 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 11 – January 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by December 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 19 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 70357 is 14 miles from Galliano, LA, which stands at 5 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 70345 (Cut Off). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 70357 in zone 10a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 30 to 35°F (-1.1 to 1.7°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.