USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 71073 — Sibley, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Minden, LA (185 ft), 5 miles north.
Updated
In Sibley, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 17 in half of years and has passed by April 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 14, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 241 days (NOAA, Minden, LA).
- Last spring frost
- March 17
- First fall frost
- November 14
- Growing season
- 241 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
- 23%
- Snow per year
- 0.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sibley
Half of springs at Minden, LA see their last 32°F night by March 17; only one in ten is past it by February 26, and one in ten still has one after April 6. Planting tender crops after March 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 1 20%, and after April 6 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 72% of the 88 Louisiana stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 14 in half of years, as early as October 28 one year in ten, and holds off past December 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 21, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 241 days in a typical year, shorter than at 88% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 268 days one year in ten and falls short of 214 one year in ten. On average 52 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 April 3, and return around November 2. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 34%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 28°F | Feb 4 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 21 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 |
| 20°F78% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F34% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 23 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 17 |
| 20°F78% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Feb 2 |
| 16°F34% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Minden, 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 71073 →Compare Sibley with another place →
Weather by month in Sibley
July is the warmest month at Minden, LA, averaging 94°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 34°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 80% of years and April still brings one in 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,199 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 74% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 40% of them (2,497) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,040. Precipitation totals 57.7 inches a year, most in April (6.5") and least in August (3.2"); May to September bring 35% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 34 | 5.3 | 99% | 16 | 73 |
| Feb | 62 | 37 | 5.0 | 96% | 11 | 105 |
| Mar | 70 | 44 | 5.7 | 80% | 4 | 259 |
| Apr | 77 | 52 | 6.5 | 21% | <1 | 438 |
| May | 84 | 62 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 713 |
| Jun | 91 | 70 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 909 |
| Jul | 94 | 73 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 1040 |
| Aug | 95 | 72 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 1032 |
| Sep | 89 | 65 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 820 |
| Oct | 79 | 53 | 4.7 | 15% | <1 | 501 |
| Nov | 68 | 43 | 4.4 | 78% | 6 | 214 |
| Dec | 60 | 36 | 5.7 | 100% | 14 | 95 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Minden, LA (185 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, Red River Rsch Stn, LA, 21 miles west of Sibley, has a last frost 11 days earlier (March 6), a first frost 4 days later (November 18), a season 15 days longer.
When it snows in Sibley, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Minden, LA, 4.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71073
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 6 – January 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 20 – February 3 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 17 – March 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 31 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 14 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 71073 is 5 miles from Minden, LA, which stands at 185 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 71055 (Minden). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71073 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.