USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 70656 — Pitkin, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elizabeth, LA (150 ft), 12 miles southeast.
Updated
In Pitkin, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 3 in half of years and has passed by March 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 25, as early as November 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 268 days (NOAA, Elizabeth, LA).
- Last spring frost
- March 3
- First fall frost
- November 25
- Growing season
- 268 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
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pitkin
Half of springs at Elizabeth, 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 28. Planting tender crops after March 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 19 20%, and after March 28 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 25 in half of years, as early as November 3 one year in ten, and holds off past December 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 12, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 268 days in a typical year, longer than at 50% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 301 days one year in ten and falls short of 235 one year in ten. On average 31 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 10. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 80% of winters and 16°F in 8%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 10 |
| 32°F | Feb 4 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 28 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 12 |
| 24°F80% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F35% 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 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 11 |
| 24°F80% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 22 | Feb 2 |
| 20°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F8% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elizabeth, 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 70656 →Compare Pitkin with another place →
Weather by month in Pitkin
August is the warmest month at Elizabeth, LA, averaging 93°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 38°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 83% of years and March still brings one in 54% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,526 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 52% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 42% of them (2,752) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 996. Precipitation totals 62.1 inches a year, most in April (6.1") and least in August (4.0"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 38 | 5.7 | 98% | 11 | 109 |
| Feb | 66 | 42 | 4.6 | 83% | 6 | 165 |
| Mar | 73 | 48 | 4.6 | 54% | 3 | 342 |
| Apr | 79 | 54 | 6.1 | 6% | <1 | 500 |
| May | 85 | 63 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 739 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 898 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 995 |
| Aug | 93 | 71 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 996 |
| Sep | 90 | 66 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 832 |
| Oct | 80 | 55 | 5.2 | 5% | <1 | 539 |
| Nov | 70 | 46 | 5.8 | 62% | 4 | 270 |
| Dec | 63 | 40 | 5.3 | 90% | 8 | 141 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Elizabeth, LA (150 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, De Ridder, LA, 21 miles west of Pitkin, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 1), the same first-frost date, a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Pitkin, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 15 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Dry Creek 8NW, LA, 17.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 70656
| 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 September 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 25 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 70656 is 12 miles from Elizabeth, LA, which stands at 150 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 71463 (Oakdale). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 70656 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.