USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 71110 — Barksdale Afb, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Red River Rsch Stn, LA (155 ft), 4 miles south.
Updated
In Barksdale Afb, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 6 in half of years and has passed by March 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 18, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 256 days (NOAA, Red River Rsch Stn, LA).
- Last spring frost
- March 6
- First fall frost
- November 18
- Growing season
- 256 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
- 17%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Barksdale Afb
Half of springs at Red River Rsch Stn, LA see their last 32°F night by March 6; only one in ten is past it by February 15, and one in ten still has one after March 26. Planting tender crops after March 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 19 20%, and after March 26 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 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 6 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 15, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 256 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 284 days one year in ten and falls short of 231 one year in ten. On average 35 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 16 days longer, to about March 22, and return around November 6. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 95% of winters and 16°F in 17%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 32°F | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 |
| 28°F | Jan 25 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 15 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Mar 3 |
| 20°F57% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 5 | Feb 18 |
| 16°F17% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 28°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 30 |
| 24°F95% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 19 |
| 20°F57% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Feb 2 |
| 16°F17% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Red River Rsch Stn, 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 71110 →Compare Barksdale Afb with another place →
Weather by month in Barksdale Afb
July is the warmest month at Red River Rsch Stn, LA, averaging 93°F by day and 73°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 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 63% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,279 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 41% of them (2,566) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,032. Precipitation totals 52.4 inches a year, most in April (5.6") and least in August (3.3"); May to September bring 36% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 36 | 4.9 | 99% | 12 | 74 |
| Feb | 61 | 40 | 4.4 | 93% | 7 | 112 |
| Mar | 69 | 47 | 5.1 | 63% | 2 | 274 |
| Apr | 77 | 54 | 5.6 | 2% | 0 | 459 |
| May | 84 | 63 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 730 |
| Jun | 90 | 71 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 916 |
| Jul | 93 | 73 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 1032 |
| Aug | 94 | 72 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 1024 |
| Sep | 89 | 66 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 816 |
| Oct | 79 | 54 | 4.5 | 7% | <1 | 514 |
| Nov | 67 | 45 | 4.0 | 77% | 3 | 227 |
| Dec | 59 | 38 | 5.0 | 98% | 11 | 99 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Red River Rsch Stn, LA (155 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 Dwtn Airport, LA, 9 miles northwest of Barksdale Afb, has a last frost 6 days earlier (February 28), a first frost 6 days later (November 24), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in Barksdale Afb, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Red River Rsch Stn, LA, 4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71110
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 26 – January 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 9 – January 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 6 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 71110 is 4 miles from Red River Rsch Stn, LA, which stands at 155 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 71112 (Bossier City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71110 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.