USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 71459 — Fort Polk, Louisiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Leesville, LA (28 ft), 5 miles north.
Updated
In Fort Polk, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 20 in half of years and has passed by April 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 234 days (NOAA, Leesville, LA).
- Last spring frost
- March 20
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 234 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
- 15%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fort Polk
Half of springs at Leesville, LA see their last 32°F night by March 20; only one in ten is past it by February 24, and one in ten still has one after April 12. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 12 10%. The 23 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 52% of the 88 Louisiana stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 9 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 27, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 234 days in a typical year, shorter than at 95% of the 88 Louisiana stations; it reaches 263 days one year in ten and falls short of 205 one year in ten. On average 39 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 April 5, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 35%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 13 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 12 |
| 28°F | Jan 31 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 |
| 20°F77% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 4 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 26 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 27 |
| 16°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 16 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 16 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 | Jan 12 |
| 20°F77% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Feb 2 |
| 16°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Leesville, 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 71459 →Compare Fort Polk with another place →
Weather by month in Fort Polk
July is the warmest month at Leesville, LA, averaging 93°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 37°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 74% of years and April still brings one in 30% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,350 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 66% of the 88 Louisiana stations. 42% of them (2,679) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 986. Precipitation totals 59.4 inches a year, most in January (5.6") and least in July (4.2"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 37 | 5.6 | 100% | 12 | 107 |
| Feb | 65 | 41 | 4.6 | 94% | 7 | 156 |
| Mar | 72 | 48 | 5.5 | 74% | 3 | 328 |
| Apr | 78 | 54 | 5.4 | 30% | <1 | 477 |
| May | 85 | 62 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 730 |
| Jun | 91 | 68 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Jul | 93 | 71 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 986 |
| Aug | 94 | 70 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 984 |
| Sep | 89 | 65 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 796 |
| Oct | 80 | 54 | 5.1 | 20% | 1 | 522 |
| Nov | 69 | 45 | 5.3 | 87% | 5 | 250 |
| Dec | 61 | 39 | 5.6 | 99% | 11 | 133 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Leesville, LA (28 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, De Ridder, LA, 16 miles south of Fort Polk and 162 feet higher, has a last frost 19 days earlier (March 1), a first frost 16 days later (November 25), a season 35 days longer.
When it snows in Fort Polk, Louisiana
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Leesville, LA, 5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 71459
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 9 – January 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 23 – February 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 71459 is 5 miles from Leesville, LA, which stands at 28 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 71446 (Leesville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 71459 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.