Frost dates for New Orleans, Louisiana
In a typical year, New Orleans’s last spring frost lands around Feb 1 and the first fall frost around Dec 31, a growing season of about 333 days. These are odds drawn from 30-year NOAA climate normals, not a promise. USDA zone 9b.
Right now the growing season is open, with about 67 days until the typical first fall frost.
| Odds | Last spring frost | First fall frost |
|---|---|---|
| 10 percent | Jan 2 | Dec 1 |
| 50 percent | Feb 1 | Dec 31 |
| 90 percent | Mar 6 | Jan 29 |
A 10 percent year is an early year, a 90 percent year a late one. Frost-sensitive planting usually waits for the 90 percent side of the last-frost band.
Soil in New Orleans is typically around 70°F at 4 inches this time of year, estimated from the last two weeks of normal air temperatures.
Plantable now in New Orleans
- Radish (Cherry Belle)
- Lettuce (Buttercrunch)
- Tomato (Sungold)
- Zucchini (Black Beauty)
- Bush bean (Blue Lake Bush 274)
- Okra (Clemson Spineless)
- Beet (Detroit Dark Red)
- Spinach (Space)
Timing comes from the same temperature engine the app uses, run against New Orleans’s normals for today.
Common questions
When is the last frost in New Orleans, Louisiana?
New Orleans’s last spring frost falls around February 1 in a typical year. One year in ten it is done by January 2, and one year in ten frost holds on until March 6. Frost-sensitive planting usually waits for the late side of that band.
When is the first fall frost in New Orleans?
The first fall frost arrives around December 31 in a typical year, as early as December 1 in an early year and as late as January 29 in a late one.
How long is the growing season in New Orleans?
About 333 days, counted between the typical last spring frost and the typical first fall frost.
What USDA zone is New Orleans in?
New Orleans is in USDA hardiness zone 9b under the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Dates come from 30-year NOAA climate normals for the nearest reporting station. They describe odds, not a forecast.
Nearby cities
- Bogalusa, LA (around Mar 2 to Nov 23)
- Gulfport, MS (around Feb 23 to Dec 3)
- Baton Rouge, LA (around Feb 25 to Nov 26)
- Morgan City, LA (around Jan 30 to Jan 1)
- Biloxi, MS (around Feb 12 to Dec 14)
Row & Bed is a plant reference built around your garden: your zone, your frost dates, your forecast, and a cited page for every variety in your beds.
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