USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 71078 — Stonewall, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Shreveport Sthrn Hills, LA (200 ft), 8 miles north.
Updated
In Stonewall, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 12 in half of years and has passed by April 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 15, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 247 days (NOAA, Shreveport Sthrn Hills, LA).
- Last spring frost
- March 12
- First fall frost
- November 15
- Growing season
- 247 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
- 29%
- Snow per year
- 0.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Stonewall
Half of springs at Shreveport Sthrn Hills, LA see their last 32°F night by March 12; only one in ten is past it by February 20, and one in ten still has one after April 1. Planting tender crops after March 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 26 20%, and after April 1 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 15 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past December 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 17, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 247 days in a typical year, shorter than at 82% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 275 days one year in ten and falls short of 221 one year in ten. On average 44 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 29, and return around November 4. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 96% of winters and 16°F in 29%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 16 |
| 32°F | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Apr 1 |
| 28°F | Jan 30 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 |
| 20°F70% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F29% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 28°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Nov 22 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 20 |
| 20°F70% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Feb 2 |
| 16°F29% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Shreveport Sthrn Hills, 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 71078 →Compare Stonewall with another place →
Weather by month in Stonewall
August is the warmest month at Shreveport Sthrn Hills, LA, averaging 94°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 35°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 73% of years and April still brings one in 11% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,985 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 90% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 40% of them (2,415) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,015. Precipitation totals 55.6 inches a year, most in December (5.4") and least in August (3.2"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 35 | 5.2 | 99% | 14 | 67 |
| Feb | 60 | 39 | 4.7 | 93% | 9 | 101 |
| Mar | 68 | 46 | 5.0 | 73% | 2 | 249 |
| Apr | 76 | 52 | 5.3 | 11% | <1 | 427 |
| May | 83 | 62 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 688 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 883 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 1012 |
| Aug | 94 | 72 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 1015 |
| Sep | 88 | 65 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 798 |
| Oct | 77 | 54 | 4.6 | 11% | <1 | 470 |
| Nov | 65 | 43 | 4.5 | 79% | 5 | 187 |
| Dec | 58 | 37 | 5.4 | 99% | 12 | 89 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Shreveport Sthrn Hills, LA (200 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, LA, 12 miles north of Stonewall, has a last frost 3 days earlier (March 9), a first frost 3 days later (November 18), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Stonewall, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Shreveport Sthrn Hills, LA, 7.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71078
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 1 – January 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 15 – January 29 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 15 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 71078 is 8 miles from Shreveport Sthrn Hills, LA, which stands at 200 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 71106 (Shreveport). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71078 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.