Frost dates for Central, LA
When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.
Last spring frost
February 25
typical year
Safe to plant
March 19
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
November 26
typical year
Growing season
276 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Jan 28 – Feb 11 | – |
| Spinach | – | Jan 14 – Feb 4 | Oct 1 – 15 |
| Lettuce | – | Jan 28 – Feb 18 | Oct 1 – 15 |
| Radishes | – | Jan 28 – Mar 11 | Oct 15 – 29 |
| Onions | – | Jan 28 – Feb 11 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Feb 4 – 18 | – |
| Carrots | – | Feb 4 – 25 | Sep 3 – 17 |
| Beets | – | Jan 28 – Feb 11 | Sep 17 – Oct 1 |
| Kale | Dec 17 – 31 | Jan 28 – Feb 11 | Sep 17 – Oct 1 |
| Broccoli | Dec 17 – 31 | Feb 11 – 25 | Sep 17 – Oct 1 |
| Cabbage | Dec 3 – 17 | Jan 28 – Feb 11 | Sep 17 – Oct 1 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 15 – Nov 5 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 15 – 29 | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Mar 19 – Apr 9 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Mar 19 – Apr 9 | – |
| Green beans | – | Mar 19 – Sep 17 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 19 – Apr 16 | – |
| Basil | Feb 12 – 26 | Mar 26 – Apr 2 | – |
Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.
The year at a glance
Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting
The chance of frost, by date
| 1 year in 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | March 19 | February 25 | January 29 |
| Fall frost before | November 7 | November 26 | December 19 |
Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.
Hard freeze (28°F)
A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around February 6 (March 8 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 11.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 5 towns.
Central, Zachary, Baker, Denham Springs, Walker
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station BATON ROUGE RYAN AP, LA US (USW00013970), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 17 zip codes, all within 20 miles:
70706, 70714, 70726, 70739, 70785, 70786, 70791, 70805, 70806, 70807, 70811, 70812, 70813, 70814, 70815, 70818, 70819
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.