USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 70501 — Lafayette, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lafayette Regional Airport, LA (38 ft), 2 miles southeast.
Updated
In Lafayette, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 13 in half of years and has passed by March 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 4, as early as November 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 299 days (NOAA, Lafayette Regional Airport, LA).
- Last spring frost
- February 13
- First fall frost
- December 4
- Growing season
- 299 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
- 10%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lafayette
Half of springs at Lafayette Regional Airport, LA see their last 32°F night by February 13; only one in ten is past it by January 13, and one in ten still has one after March 10. Planting tender crops after February 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 3 20%, and after March 10 10%. The 25 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 69% 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 4 in half of years, as early as November 13 one year in ten, and holds off past January 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 26 days later, around December 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 28, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 299 days in a typical year, longer than at 78% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 335 days one year in ten and falls short of 263 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 18 days longer, to about March 3, and return around November 20. A 24°F night is unusual: 45% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 1 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 |
| 28°F82% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 17 | Feb 28 |
| 24°F45% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F14% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 13 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 28 | Jan 5 |
| 28°F82% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 23 |
| 24°F45% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F14% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lafayette Regional 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 70501 →Compare Lafayette with another place →
Weather by month in Lafayette
August is the warmest month at Lafayette Regional Airport, LA, averaging 92°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 62°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 55% of years and March still brings one in 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,303 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 86% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 43% of them (3,150) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,038. Precipitation totals 62.9 inches a year, most in June (7.1") and least in March (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 | 44 | 5.9 | 85% | 5 | 170 |
| Feb | 66 | 47 | 4.1 | 55% | 2 | 222 |
| Mar | 73 | 53 | 3.7 | 24% | 1 | 410 |
| Apr | 79 | 59 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 575 |
| May | 86 | 67 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 823 |
| Jun | 90 | 73 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 949 |
| Jul | 92 | 75 | 6.3 | 0% | 0 | 1032 |
| Aug | 92 | 75 | 6.3 | 0% | 0 | 1038 |
| Sep | 89 | 70 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 891 |
| Oct | 81 | 60 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 642 |
| Nov | 72 | 50 | 4.4 | 39% | 1 | 341 |
| Dec | 64 | 45 | 5.0 | 72% | 3 | 208 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lafayette Regional Airport, LA (38 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, Lafayette, LA, 3 miles west of Lafayette, has a last frost 13 days later (February 26), a first frost 6 days earlier (November 28), a season 20 days shorter.
When it snows in Lafayette, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Lafayette, LA, 3.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 70501
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 5 – December 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 19 – January 2 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 16 – January 30 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 4 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 70501 is 2 miles from Lafayette Regional Airport, LA, which stands at 38 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 70508 (Lafayette). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 70501 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.