USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 70559 — Morse, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Jennings, LA (25 ft), 10 miles northwest.
Updated
In Morse, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 19 in half of years and has passed by March 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 4, as early as November 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 292 days (NOAA, Jennings, LA).
- Last spring frost
- February 19
- First fall frost
- December 4
- Growing season
- 292 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
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Morse
Half of springs at Jennings, LA see their last 32°F night by February 19; only one in ten is past it by January 21, and one in ten still has one after March 13. Planting tender crops after March 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 6 20%, and after March 13 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 December 4 in half of years, as early as November 12 one year in ten, and holds off past January 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 24 days later, around December 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 1, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 292 days in a typical year, longer than at 73% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 330 days one year in ten and falls short of 256 one year in ten. On average 15 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 6, and return around November 19. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 50% of winters and 16°F in 2%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 29 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 28°F89% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Mar 1 |
| 24°F50% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 4 | Feb 18 |
| 20°F14% 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 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 32°F99% of yrs | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 4 |
| 28°F89% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 27 |
| 24°F50% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 |
| 20°F14% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F2% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Jennings, 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 70559 →Compare Morse with another place →
Weather by month in Morse
August is the warmest month at Jennings, LA, averaging 91°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 42°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 66% of years and March still brings one in 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,804 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 65% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 42% of them (2,873) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 995. Precipitation totals 63.6 inches a year, most in August (6.8") and least in March (3.8"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 42 | 6.3 | 89% | 6 | 135 |
| Feb | 64 | 45 | 4.3 | 66% | 3 | 178 |
| Mar | 71 | 52 | 3.8 | 32% | 1 | 359 |
| Apr | 77 | 58 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 525 |
| May | 84 | 66 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 769 |
| Jun | 89 | 72 | 6.6 | 0% | 0 | 907 |
| Jul | 90 | 74 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 990 |
| Aug | 91 | 73 | 6.8 | 0% | 0 | 995 |
| Sep | 88 | 69 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 850 |
| Oct | 80 | 59 | 4.7 | 1% | 0 | 607 |
| Nov | 70 | 49 | 4.9 | 39% | 1 | 314 |
| Dec | 63 | 44 | 4.7 | 76% | 4 | 174 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Jennings, 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, Crowley 2 NE, LA, 12 miles northeast of Morse, has a last frost 1 day later (February 20), the same first-frost date, a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Morse, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Jennings, LA, 9.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 70559
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 11 – December 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 25 – January 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 22 – February 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 19 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 70559 is 10 miles from Jennings, LA, which stands at 25 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 70546 (Jennings). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 70559 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.