USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 71423 — Dry Prong, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Boyce 3 WNW, LA (110 ft), 15 miles southwest.
Updated
In Dry Prong, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 2 in half of years and has passed by March 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 27, as early as November 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 271 days (NOAA, Boyce 3 WNW, LA).
- Last spring frost
- March 2
- First fall frost
- November 27
- Growing season
- 271 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 5%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Dry Prong
Half of springs at Boyce 3 WNW, LA see their last 32°F night by March 2; only one in ten is past it by February 1, and one in ten still has one after March 19. Planting tender crops after March 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 14 20%, and after March 19 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 93% of the 88 Louisiana stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 27 in half of years, as early as November 7 one year in ten, and holds off past December 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around December 14; 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 305 days one year in ten and falls short of 243 one year in ten. On average 16 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 13 days longer, to about March 15, and return around November 13. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 78% of winters and 16°F in 9%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 32°F | Feb 1 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 |
| 24°F78% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 32°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 |
| 28°F98% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 13 |
| 24°F78% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 20°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F9% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Boyce 3 WNW, 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 71423 →Compare Dry Prong with another place →
Weather by month in Dry Prong
July is the warmest month at Boyce 3 WNW, LA, averaging 89°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 39°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to 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 81% of years and March still brings one in 53% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,967 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 91% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 41% of them (2,473) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 950. Precipitation totals 60.9 inches a year, most in December (6.0") and least in August (3.4"); May to September bring 36% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 39 | 5.8 | 97% | 6 | 85 |
| Feb | 60 | 42 | 5.0 | 81% | 3 | 117 |
| Mar | 67 | 49 | 5.8 | 53% | 1 | 273 |
| Apr | 74 | 56 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 451 |
| May | 81 | 64 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 696 |
| Jun | 87 | 70 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 852 |
| Jul | 89 | 72 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 950 |
| Aug | 89 | 72 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 947 |
| Sep | 85 | 67 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 772 |
| Oct | 76 | 56 | 5.1 | 3% | <1 | 503 |
| Nov | 65 | 46 | 5.4 | 58% | 1 | 216 |
| Dec | 58 | 41 | 6.0 | 91% | 4 | 105 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Boyce 3 WNW, LA (110 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, Alexandria, LA, 18 miles south of Dry Prong, has a last frost 3 days earlier (February 27), the same first-frost date, a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Dry Prong, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Boyce 3 WNW, LA, 15.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71423
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 22 – January 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 5 – January 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 27 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 71423 is 15 miles from Boyce 3 WNW, LA, which stands at 110 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 71409 (Boyce). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71423 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.