USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 70460 — Slidell, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Slidell Airport, LA (27 ft), 3 miles north.
Updated
In Slidell, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 3 in half of years and has passed by March 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 21, as early as November 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 263 days (NOAA, Slidell Airport, LA).
- Last spring frost
- March 3
- First fall frost
- November 21
- Growing season
- 263 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Slidell
Half of springs at Slidell Airport, LA see their last 32°F night by March 3; only one in ten is past it by February 4, and one in ten still has one after March 26. Planting tender crops after March 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 18 20%, and after March 26 10%. The 23 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 52% 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 21 in half of years, as early as November 4 one year in ten, and holds off past December 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 13, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 263 days in a typical year, shorter than at 58% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 296 days one year in ten and falls short of 236 one year in ten. On average 24 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 17 days longer, to about March 20, and return around November 8. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 81% of winters and 16°F in 11%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 25 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 10 |
| 32°F | Feb 4 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 26 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 |
| 24°F81% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 3 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 5 | Feb 16 | Mar 1 |
| 20°F38% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 |
| 32°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 14 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 | Jan 12 |
| 24°F81% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F38% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Slidell Airport, 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 70460 →Compare Slidell with another place →
Weather by month in Slidell
July is the warmest month at Slidell Airport, LA, averaging 91°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 62°F and 41°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 83% of years and March still brings one in 53% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,753 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 61% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 42% of them (2,861) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 995. Precipitation totals 61.9 inches a year, most in July (7.3") and least in October (3.7"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 41 | 5.6 | 95% | 8 | 145 |
| Feb | 66 | 44 | 4.1 | 83% | 5 | 191 |
| Mar | 72 | 50 | 4.9 | 53% | 2 | 351 |
| Apr | 78 | 56 | 5.2 | 5% | 0 | 511 |
| May | 85 | 64 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 755 |
| Jun | 90 | 71 | 6.1 | 0% | 0 | 909 |
| Jul | 91 | 73 | 7.3 | 0% | 0 | 995 |
| Aug | 91 | 73 | 7.0 | 0% | 0 | 993 |
| Sep | 88 | 69 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 847 |
| Oct | 81 | 57 | 3.7 | 4% | 0 | 588 |
| Nov | 71 | 47 | 3.9 | 68% | 2 | 284 |
| Dec | 64 | 43 | 4.5 | 86% | 7 | 183 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Slidell Airport, LA (27 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, Slidell, LA, 3 miles southeast of Slidell, has a last frost 7 days earlier (February 24), a first frost 10 days later (December 1), a season 18 days longer.
When it snows in Slidell, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Slidell Airport, LA, 3.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 70460
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 23 – January 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 6 – January 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 21 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 70460 is 3 miles from Slidell Airport, LA, which stands at 27 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 70460 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.