USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 70788 — White Castle, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Carville 2 SW, LA (25 ft), 4 miles northeast.
Updated
In White Castle, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 9 in half of years and has passed by March 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 13, as early as November 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 308 days (NOAA, Carville 2 SW, LA).
- Last spring frost
- February 9
- First fall frost
- December 13
- Growing season
- 308 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
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in White Castle
Half of springs at Carville 2 SW, LA see their last 32°F night by February 9; only one in ten is past it by January 12, and one in ten still has one after March 10. Planting tender crops after February 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 1 20%, and after March 10 10%. The 29 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 89% 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 13 in half of years, as early as November 16 one year in ten, and holds off past January 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around January 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is February 27, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 308 days in a typical year, longer than at 85% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 343 days one year in ten and falls short of 271 one year in ten. On average 10 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 19 days longer, to about February 28, and return around November 27. A 24°F night is unusual: 36% of winters had one.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 1 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 10 |
| 28°F76% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 27 |
| 24°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 |
| 32°F98% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 |
| 28°F76% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Feb 1 |
| 24°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 20°F11% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F3% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Carville 2 SW, 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 70788 →Compare White Castle with another place →
Weather by month in White Castle
July is the warmest month at Carville 2 SW, LA, averaging 90°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 62°F and 43°F. From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 55% of years and March still brings one in 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 7,025 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 80% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 43% of them (3,000) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,008. Precipitation totals 62.7 inches a year, most in June (7.1") and least in November (4.1"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 43 | 5.5 | 82% | 4 | 152 |
| Feb | 66 | 47 | 4.4 | 55% | 2 | 205 |
| Mar | 72 | 52 | 4.4 | 21% | 1 | 384 |
| Apr | 78 | 59 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 548 |
| May | 84 | 67 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 791 |
| Jun | 89 | 73 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 921 |
| Jul | 90 | 75 | 6.3 | 0% | 0 | 1008 |
| Aug | 90 | 75 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 1007 |
| Sep | 87 | 71 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 870 |
| Oct | 80 | 61 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 625 |
| Nov | 70 | 50 | 4.1 | 26% | 1 | 324 |
| Dec | 64 | 45 | 5.0 | 65% | 3 | 191 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Carville 2 SW, 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, Donaldsonville 4 SW, LA, 10 miles southeast of White Castle, has a last frost 12 days later (February 21), a first frost 8 days earlier (December 5), a season 17 days shorter.
When it snows in White Castle, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Carville 2 SW, LA, 3.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 70788
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 1 – December 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| December 15 – December 29 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 12 – January 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 13 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 70788 is 4 miles from Carville 2 SW, LA, which stands at 25 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 70769 (Prairieville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 70788 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.