USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 70427 — Bogalusa, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bogalusa, LA (100 ft), 2 miles northeast.
Updated
In Bogalusa, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 2 in half of years and has passed by March 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 23, as early as November 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 265 days (NOAA, Bogalusa, LA).
- Last spring frost
- March 2
- First fall frost
- November 23
- Growing season
- 265 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 6%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bogalusa
Half of springs at Bogalusa, LA see their last 32°F night by March 2; only one in ten is past it by February 5, and one in ten still has one after March 24. Planting tender crops after March 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 17 20%, and after March 24 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 49% 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 November 23 in half of years, as early as November 6 one year in ten, and holds off past December 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around December 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 14, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 265 days in a typical year, shorter than at 57% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 298 days one year in ten and falls short of 237 one year in ten. On average 28 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 15 days longer, to about March 17, and return around November 11. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 80% of winters and 16°F in 13%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 23 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 32°F | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 | Mar 14 |
| 24°F80% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Mar 2 |
| 20°F43% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F13% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 18 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 13 |
| 24°F80% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F43% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F13% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bogalusa, 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 70427 →Compare Bogalusa with another place →
Weather by month in Bogalusa
July is the warmest month at Bogalusa, LA, averaging 92°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 39°F. A freezing night is all but certain in January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 84% of years and March still brings one in 54% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,646 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 56% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 42% of them (2,788) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,000. Precipitation totals 63.8 inches a year, most in June (7.8") and least in November (4.2"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 39 | 6.1 | 98% | 10 | 120 |
| Feb | 66 | 42 | 4.6 | 84% | 6 | 166 |
| Mar | 72 | 48 | 5.1 | 54% | 1 | 333 |
| Apr | 79 | 55 | 4.4 | 3% | 0 | 507 |
| May | 85 | 63 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 753 |
| Jun | 91 | 70 | 7.8 | 0% | 0 | 909 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 6.4 | 0% | 0 | 1000 |
| Aug | 92 | 72 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 990 |
| Sep | 89 | 68 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 847 |
| Oct | 81 | 57 | 5.3 | 2% | <1 | 586 |
| Nov | 71 | 46 | 4.2 | 64% | 2 | 278 |
| Dec | 64 | 41 | 4.9 | 86% | 9 | 157 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bogalusa, LA (100 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, Picayune, MS, 19 miles southeast of Bogalusa, has a last frost 7 days later (March 9), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 18), a season 10 days shorter.
When it snows in Bogalusa, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Bogalusa, LA, 1.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 70427
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 22 – January 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 5 – January 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 23 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 70427 is 2 miles from Bogalusa, LA, which stands at 100 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 70438 (Franklinton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 70427 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.