USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 71232 — Delhi, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Rayville, LA (89 ft), 15 miles west.
Updated
In Delhi, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 28 in half of years and has passed by March 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 26, as early as November 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 271 days (NOAA, Rayville, LA).
- Last spring frost
- February 28
- First fall frost
- November 26
- Growing season
- 271 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
- 0.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Delhi
Half of springs at Rayville, LA see their last 32°F night by February 28; only one in ten is past it by January 31, and one in ten still has one after March 19. Planting tender crops after March 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 13 20%, and after March 19 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 78% of the 88 Louisiana stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 26 in half of years, as early as November 7 one year in ten, and holds off past December 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 8, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 271 days in a typical year, longer than at 57% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 303 days one year in ten and falls short of 243 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 14 days longer, to about March 14, and return around November 12. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 78% of winters and 16°F in 7%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 2 |
| 32°F | Jan 31 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| 24°F78% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 12 | Feb 27 |
| 20°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 32°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 20 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 14 |
| 24°F78% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F7% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Rayville, 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 71232 →Compare Delhi with another place →
Weather by month in Delhi
August is the warmest month at Rayville, LA, averaging 94°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 57°F and 38°F. A freezing night is all but certain in January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 80% of years and March still brings one in 50% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,548 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 51% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 41% of them (2,705) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 1,041. Precipitation totals 60.1 inches a year, most in April (6.7") and least in September (3.8"); May to September bring 37% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 38 | 5.5 | 96% | 12 | 96 |
| Feb | 62 | 41 | 5.1 | 80% | 7 | 132 |
| Mar | 70 | 48 | 5.7 | 50% | 2 | 309 |
| Apr | 78 | 56 | 6.7 | 1% | <1 | 500 |
| May | 84 | 64 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 746 |
| Jun | 90 | 71 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 922 |
| Jul | 93 | 74 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 1038 |
| Aug | 94 | 74 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 1041 |
| Sep | 89 | 67 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 835 |
| Oct | 80 | 56 | 4.6 | 2% | <1 | 560 |
| Nov | 68 | 46 | 4.7 | 61% | 3 | 244 |
| Dec | 60 | 40 | 5.8 | 89% | 11 | 125 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Rayville, LA (89 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, Tallulah, LA, 19 miles east of Delhi, has a last frost 2 days later (March 2), a first frost 2 days earlier (November 24).
When it snows in Delhi, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Rayville, LA, 14.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71232
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 20 – January 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 3 – January 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 26 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 71232 is 15 miles from Rayville, LA, which stands at 89 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 71269 (Rayville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71232 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.