USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 70555 — Maurice, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lafayette, LA (25 ft), 9 miles northeast.
Updated
In Maurice, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 26 in half of years and has passed by March 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 28, as early as November 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 279 days (NOAA, Lafayette, LA).
- Last spring frost
- February 26
- First fall frost
- November 28
- Growing season
- 279 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 Maurice
Half of springs at Lafayette, LA see their last 32°F night by February 26; only one in ten is past it by January 29, and one in ten still has one after March 20. Planting tender crops after March 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 13 20%, and after March 20 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 28 in half of years, as early as November 7 one year in ten, and holds off past December 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 8, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 279 days in a typical year, longer than at 67% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 312 days one year in ten and falls short of 247 one year in ten. On average 18 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 13 days longer, to about March 11, and return around November 13. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 67% of winters and 16°F in 9%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 17 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 3 |
| 32°F | Jan 29 | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 28°F93% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| 24°F67% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 16 | Feb 27 |
| 20°F32% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 4 |
| 32°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 26 |
| 28°F93% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 18 |
| 24°F67% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 25 | Feb 4 |
| 20°F32% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lafayette, 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 70555 →Compare Maurice with another place →
Weather by month in Maurice
August is the warmest month at Lafayette, LA, averaging 92°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 73% of years and March still brings one in 44% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,879 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 70% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 43% of them (2,939) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,000. Precipitation totals 64.8 inches a year, most in June (7.0") and least in March (3.8"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 41 | 6.1 | 91% | 7 | 144 |
| Feb | 66 | 45 | 4.5 | 73% | 4 | 193 |
| Mar | 72 | 51 | 3.8 | 44% | 1 | 370 |
| Apr | 78 | 57 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 533 |
| May | 85 | 65 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 777 |
| Jun | 90 | 72 | 7.0 | 0% | 0 | 922 |
| Jul | 91 | 73 | 6.3 | 0% | 0 | 994 |
| Aug | 92 | 73 | 6.5 | 0% | 0 | 1000 |
| Sep | 88 | 69 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 844 |
| Oct | 81 | 59 | 5.0 | 2% | 0 | 609 |
| Nov | 71 | 49 | 4.8 | 54% | 2 | 312 |
| Dec | 64 | 43 | 5.2 | 84% | 5 | 182 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lafayette, LA (25 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 Regional Airport, LA, 11 miles northeast of Maurice, has a last frost 13 days earlier (February 13), a first frost 6 days later (December 4), a season 20 days longer.
When it snows in Maurice, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Lafayette, LA, 9.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 70555
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 18 – January 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 1 – January 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 29 – February 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 28 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 70555 is 9 miles from Lafayette, LA, which stands at 25 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 70506 (Lafayette). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 70555 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.