Frost dates for Houma, 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 5
typical year
Safe to plant
March 7
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 17
typical year
Growing season
312 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 8 – 22 | – |
| Spinach | – | Dec 25 – Jan 15 | Oct 22 – Nov 5 |
| Lettuce | – | Jan 8 – 29 | Oct 22 – Nov 5 |
| Radishes | – | Jan 8 – Feb 19 | Nov 5 – 19 |
| Onions | – | Jan 8 – 22 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Jan 15 – 29 | – |
| Carrots | – | Jan 15 – Feb 5 | Sep 24 – Oct 8 |
| Beets | – | Jan 8 – 22 | Oct 8 – 22 |
| Kale | Nov 27 – Dec 11 | Jan 8 – 22 | Oct 8 – 22 |
| Broccoli | Nov 27 – Dec 11 | Jan 22 – Feb 5 | Oct 8 – 22 |
| Cabbage | Nov 13 – 27 | Jan 8 – 22 | Oct 8 – 22 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 5 – 26 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 10 – 24 | Mar 7 – 21 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 3 – 17 | Mar 14 – 28 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Mar 7 – 28 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Mar 7 – Apr 4 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Mar 7 – 28 | – |
| Green beans | – | Mar 7 – Oct 8 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 7 – Apr 4 | – |
| Basil | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Mar 14 – 21 | – |
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 7 | February 5 | January 6 |
| Fall frost before | November 23 | December 17 | January 13 |
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 January 26 (February 24 in a late year), and the first one in fall around January 2.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.
Houma
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station HOUMA, LA US (USC00164407), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 10 zip codes, all within 21 miles:
70344, 70352, 70353, 70356, 70359, 70360, 70363, 70364, 70395, 70397
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.