USDA Hardiness Zone 9b
Frost Dates for 70394 — Raceland, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Thibodaux 4 SE, LA (15 ft), 10 miles west.
Updated
In Raceland, 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 14, as early as November 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 311 days (NOAA, Thibodaux 4 SE, LA).
- Last spring frost
- February 5
- First fall frost
- December 14
- Growing season
- 311 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 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Raceland
Half of springs at Thibodaux 4 SE, LA see their last 32°F night by February 5; only one in ten is past it by January 3, and one in ten still has one after March 7. Planting tender crops after February 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after February 27 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 14 in half of years, as early as November 19 one year in ten, and holds off past January 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 18 days later, around January 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 21, 14 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 348 days one year in ten and falls short of 274 one year in ten. On average 11 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 22 days longer, to about February 27, and return around November 29. A 24°F night is unusual: 36% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jan 30 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| 32°F96% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 16 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 7 |
| 28°F75% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 21 |
| 24°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F9% 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 7 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 23 |
| 32°F96% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 |
| 28°F75% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 24°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Thibodaux 4 SE, 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 70394 →Compare Raceland with another place →
Weather by month in Raceland
July is the warmest month at Thibodaux 4 SE, LA, averaging 92°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 64°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 15% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,517 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 95% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 43% of them (3,254) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,042. Precipitation totals 71.3 inches a year, most in June (8.7") and least in November (3.8"); May to September bring 53% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 45 | 5.8 | 74% | 5 | 195 |
| Feb | 68 | 49 | 4.4 | 50% | 1 | 253 |
| Mar | 74 | 54 | 4.9 | 15% | 1 | 437 |
| Apr | 79 | 60 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 587 |
| May | 86 | 67 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 826 |
| Jun | 91 | 73 | 8.7 | 0% | 0 | 955 |
| Jul | 92 | 75 | 8.4 | 0% | 0 | 1042 |
| Aug | 92 | 75 | 8.5 | 0% | 0 | 1038 |
| Sep | 89 | 71 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 898 |
| Oct | 82 | 61 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 663 |
| Nov | 73 | 52 | 3.8 | 20% | 1 | 379 |
| Dec | 66 | 47 | 5.3 | 59% | 3 | 243 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Thibodaux 4 SE, LA (15 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, Houma, LA, 13 miles southwest of Raceland, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 3 days later (December 17), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Raceland, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Thibodaux 4 SE, LA, 10.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 70394
| 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 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 14 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 70394 is 10 miles from Thibodaux 4 SE, LA, which stands at 15 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 70301 (Thibodaux). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 70394 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.