USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 70648 — Kinder, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Oberlin Fire Twr, LA (65 ft), 9 miles northeast.
Updated
In Kinder, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 1 in half of years and has passed by March 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 24, as early as November 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 267 days (NOAA, Oberlin Fire Twr, LA).
- Last spring frost
- March 1
- First fall frost
- November 24
- Growing season
- 267 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 Kinder
Half of springs at Oberlin Fire Twr, LA see their last 32°F night by March 1; only one in ten is past it by February 1, and one in ten still has one after March 26. Planting tender crops after March 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 18 20%, and after March 26 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 November 24 in half of years, as early as November 5 one year in ten, and holds off past December 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around December 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 11, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 267 days in a typical year, shorter than at 51% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 302 days one year in ten and falls short of 239 one year in ten. On average 19 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 19, and return around November 11. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 75% of winters and 16°F in 8%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 24 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 9 |
| 32°F | Feb 1 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 26 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 11 |
| 24°F75% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F31% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F8% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 15 |
| 24°F75% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Feb 3 |
| 20°F31% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F8% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Oberlin Fire Twr, 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 70648 →Compare Kinder with another place →
Weather by month in Kinder
August is the warmest month at Oberlin Fire Twr, LA, averaging 91°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 39°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to 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 82% of years and March still brings one in 48% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,392 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 42% of them (2,692) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 970. Precipitation totals 61.9 inches a year, most in January (6.4") and least in March (4.1"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 39 | 6.4 | 95% | 7 | 110 |
| Feb | 63 | 43 | 4.7 | 82% | 3 | 158 |
| Mar | 70 | 50 | 4.1 | 48% | 1 | 329 |
| Apr | 77 | 56 | 5.1 | 4% | 0 | 493 |
| May | 83 | 64 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 729 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 874 |
| Jul | 90 | 72 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 964 |
| Aug | 91 | 72 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 970 |
| Sep | 87 | 67 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 807 |
| Oct | 79 | 57 | 4.6 | 4% | <1 | 546 |
| Nov | 69 | 47 | 4.8 | 62% | 2 | 268 |
| Dec | 61 | 42 | 5.5 | 90% | 6 | 144 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Oberlin Fire Twr, LA (65 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, Jennings, LA, 23 miles southeast of Kinder, has a last frost 10 days earlier (February 19), a first frost 10 days later (December 4), a season 25 days longer.
When it snows in Kinder, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Oberlin Fire Twr, LA, 9.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 70648
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 21 – January 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 4 – January 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 24 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 70648 is 9 miles from Oberlin Fire Twr, LA, which stands at 65 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 70648 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.