USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 71108 — Shreveport, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Shreveport, LA (273 ft), 4 miles west.
Updated
In Shreveport, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 9 in half of years and has passed by March 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 18, as early as November 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 255 days (NOAA, Shreveport, LA).
- Last spring frost
- March 9
- First fall frost
- November 18
- 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
- 47%
- Snow per year
- 0.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
14 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Shreveport
Half of springs at Shreveport, LA see their last 32°F night by March 9; only one in ten is past it by February 16, and one in ten still has one after March 29. Planting tender crops after March 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 21 20%, and after March 29 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 18 in half of years, as early as November 2 one year in ten, and holds off past December 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 16, 13 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 282 days one year in ten and falls short of 229 one year in ten. On average 30 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 15 days longer, to about March 24, and return around November 8. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 95% of winters and 16°F in 19%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 32°F | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 29 |
| 28°F | Jan 26 | Feb 2 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Mar 3 |
| 20°F59% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 |
| 16°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
| 28°F | Nov 9 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 20 |
| 20°F59% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 5 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F19% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Shreveport, 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 71108 →Compare Shreveport with another place →
Weather by month in Shreveport
August is the warmest month at Shreveport, LA, averaging 95°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 37°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 65% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,523 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 53% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 41% of them (2,682) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,052. Precipitation totals 51.5 inches a year, most in April (5.2") and least in August (2.9"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 37 | 4.4 | 100% | 11 | 92 |
| Feb | 63 | 41 | 4.3 | 91% | 6 | 135 |
| Mar | 70 | 48 | 4.9 | 65% | 2 | 305 |
| Apr | 78 | 54 | 5.2 | 6% | 0 | 479 |
| May | 85 | 64 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 746 |
| Jun | 91 | 71 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 925 |
| Jul | 94 | 74 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 1051 |
| Aug | 95 | 73 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 1052 |
| Sep | 90 | 67 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 849 |
| Oct | 79 | 55 | 4.6 | 7% | <1 | 540 |
| Nov | 68 | 45 | 4.0 | 78% | 3 | 238 |
| Dec | 60 | 39 | 4.9 | 99% | 9 | 111 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Shreveport, LA (273 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 WFO, LA, 4 miles west of Shreveport, has a last frost 3 days earlier (March 6), a first frost 1 day later (November 19), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Shreveport, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 14 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Shreveport, LA, 3.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71108
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 29 – January 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 12 – January 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 9 – February 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 18 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 71108 is 4 miles from Shreveport, LA, which stands at 273 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71108 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.