USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 70363 — Houma, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Houma, LA (8 ft), 9 miles northwest.
Updated
In Houma, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 5 in half of years and has passed by March 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 17, as early as November 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 312 days (NOAA, Houma, LA).
- Last spring frost
- February 5
- First fall frost
- December 17
- Growing season
- 312 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Houma
Half of springs at Houma, LA see their last 32°F night by February 5; only one in ten is past it by January 6, and one in ten still has one after March 7. Planting tender crops after February 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after February 28 20%, and after March 7 10%. The 30 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 91% 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 23 one year in ten, and holds off past January 13 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 24, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 312 days in a typical year, longer than at 91% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 347 days one year in ten and falls short of 277 one year in ten. On average 10 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 25, and return around November 28. A 24°F night is unusual: 39% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| 32°F97% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| 28°F75% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 24 |
| 24°F39% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F14% 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 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 22 |
| 32°F97% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 13 |
| 28°F75% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 |
| 24°F39% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F14% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Houma, 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 70363 →Compare Houma with another place →
Weather by month in Houma
August is the warmest month at Houma, LA, averaging 91°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 64°F and 44°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 48% of years and March still brings one in 17% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,350 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 88% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 43% of them (3,167) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,021. Precipitation totals 65.6 inches a year, most in July (9.1") and least in April (4.0"); May to September bring 52% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 44 | 5.6 | 77% | 5 | 184 |
| Feb | 67 | 48 | 4.4 | 48% | 1 | 234 |
| Mar | 73 | 54 | 4.5 | 17% | 1 | 430 |
| Apr | 78 | 60 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 569 |
| May | 85 | 67 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 814 |
| Jun | 90 | 73 | 8.4 | 0% | 0 | 937 |
| Jul | 91 | 74 | 9.1 | 0% | 0 | 1014 |
| Aug | 91 | 75 | 6.5 | 0% | 0 | 1021 |
| Sep | 89 | 71 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 891 |
| Oct | 82 | 61 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 658 |
| Nov | 72 | 52 | 4.4 | 18% | 1 | 371 |
| Dec | 66 | 46 | 4.2 | 66% | 2 | 228 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Houma, LA (8 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, Thibodaux 4 SE, LA, 14 miles north of Houma, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 3 days earlier (December 14), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Houma, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 16 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Houma, LA, 9.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 70363
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 27 – December 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 11 – December 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 8 – January 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 5 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 70363 is 9 miles from Houma, LA, which stands at 8 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 70364 (Houma). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 70363 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.