USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 71032 — Grand Cane, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mansfield 4 NW, LA (322 ft), 3 miles southeast.
Updated
In Grand Cane, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 8 in half of years and has passed by April 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 20, as early as November 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 255 days (NOAA, Mansfield 4 NW, LA).
- Last spring frost
- March 8
- First fall frost
- November 20
- Growing season
- 255 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 14%
- Snow per year
- 0.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Grand Cane
Half of springs at Mansfield 4 NW, LA see their last 32°F night by March 8; only one in ten is past it by February 13, and one in ten still has one after April 1. Planting tender crops after March 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 25 20%, and after April 1 10%. The 24 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 63% 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 20 in half of years, as early as November 2 one year in ten, and holds off past December 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 16, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 255 days in a typical year, shorter than at 70% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 287 days one year in ten and falls short of 227 one year in ten. On average 39 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 26, and return around November 9. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 93% of winters and 16°F in 26%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 1 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 32°F | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 | Apr 1 |
| 28°F | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 24°F93% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 12 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 26 | Mar 5 |
| 20°F63% of yrs | Dec 17 | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 20 |
| 16°F26% 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 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 |
| 28°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Jan 1 |
| 24°F93% of yrs | Nov 21 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 20 |
| 20°F63% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Feb 3 |
| 16°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mansfield 4 NW, 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 71032 →Compare Grand Cane with another place →
Weather by month in Grand Cane
July is the warmest month at Mansfield 4 NW, LA, averaging 93°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 57°F and 36°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to January (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 88% of years and March still brings one in 64% of years and April still brings one in 10% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,174 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 76% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 41% of them (2,522) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,015. Precipitation totals 53.6 inches a year, most in March (5.5") and least in July (2.6"); May to September bring 34% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 36 | 4.9 | 99% | 14 | 84 |
| Feb | 62 | 40 | 5.2 | 88% | 7 | 128 |
| Mar | 70 | 46 | 5.5 | 64% | 2 | 276 |
| Apr | 76 | 53 | 5.2 | 10% | <1 | 434 |
| May | 83 | 62 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 701 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 900 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 2.6 | 0% | 0 | 1015 |
| Aug | 93 | 72 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 1012 |
| Sep | 88 | 65 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 787 |
| Oct | 79 | 55 | 5.0 | 6% | <1 | 519 |
| Nov | 68 | 44 | 4.3 | 69% | 3 | 216 |
| Dec | 60 | 38 | 5.3 | 98% | 13 | 103 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mansfield 4 NW, LA (322 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, Shreveport Sthrn Hills, LA, 19 miles north of Grand Cane, has a last frost 4 days later (March 12), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 15), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Grand Cane, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Mansfield 4 NW, LA, 3.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71032
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 28 – January 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 11 – January 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 20 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 71032 is 3 miles from Mansfield 4 NW, LA, which stands at 322 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 71052 (Mansfield). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71032 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.