USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 70775 — Saint Francisville, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from St Francisville 1 NE, LA (129 ft), 5 miles south.
Updated
In Saint Francisville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 2 in half of years and has passed by March 29 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 268 days (NOAA, St Francisville 1 NE, LA).
- Last spring frost
- March 2
- First fall frost
- November 24
- 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
- 5%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Saint Francisville
Half of springs at St Francisville 1 NE, LA see their last 32°F night by March 2; only one in ten is past it by January 31, and one in ten still has one after March 29. Planting tender crops after March 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 19 20%, and after March 29 10%. The 27 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 81% 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 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 14, 15 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 304 days one year in ten and falls short of 235 one year in ten. On average 28 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 22 days longer, to about March 24, and return around November 12. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 85% of winters and 16°F in 15%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 25 | Mar 4 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 32°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 29 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 26 | Mar 5 | Mar 14 |
| 24°F85% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 21 | Jan 26 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 11 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F15% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 16 |
| 28°F99% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 |
| 24°F85% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 |
| 20°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F15% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at St Francisville 1 NE, 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 70775 →Compare Saint Francisville with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, New Roads 5 NE, LA, 9 miles south of Saint Francisville, has a last frost 11 days earlier (February 19), a first frost 11 days later (December 5), a season 24 days longer.
When it snows in Saint Francisville, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at New Roads 5 NE, LA, 9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 70775
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 22 – January 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 5 – January 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 2 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 70775 is 5 miles from St Francisville 1 NE, LA, which stands at 129 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 70775 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.