Frost Report

All states Louisiana

Frost dates for Jackson, 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

March 2

typical year

Safe to plant

March 29

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

November 24

typical year

Growing season

268 days

frost-free, typical year

When to plant

Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.

CropStart indoorsPlant outsideFall planting
Cool-season crops
Peas – Feb 2 – 16 –
Spinach – Jan 19 – Feb 9 Sep 29 – Oct 13
Lettuce – Feb 2 – 23 Sep 29 – Oct 13
Radishes – Feb 2 – Mar 16 Oct 13 – 27
Onions – Feb 2 – 16 –
Potatoes – Feb 9 – 23 –
Carrots – Feb 9 – Mar 2 Sep 1 – 15
Beets – Feb 2 – 16 Sep 15 – 29
Kale Dec 22 – Jan 5 Feb 2 – 16 Sep 15 – 29
Broccoli Dec 22 – Jan 5 Feb 16 – Mar 2 Sep 15 – 29
Cabbage Dec 8 – 22 Feb 2 – 16 Sep 15 – 29
Garlic – – Oct 13 – Nov 3
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Feb 1 – 15 Mar 29 – Apr 12 –
Peppers Jan 25 – Feb 8 Apr 5 – 19 –
Cucumbers – Mar 29 – Apr 19 –
Zucchini – Mar 29 – Apr 26 –
Pumpkins – Mar 29 – Apr 19 –
Green beans – Mar 29 – Sep 15 –
Sweet corn – Mar 29 – Apr 26 –
Basil Feb 22 – Mar 8 Apr 5 – 12 –

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 10Half of years9 years in 10
Spring frost after March 29March 2January 31
Fall frost before November 5November 24December 16

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 7 (March 14 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 10.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 2 towns.

Jackson, St. Francisville

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station ST FRANCISVILLE 1 NE, LA US (USC00168138), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 7 zip codes, all within 19 miles:

70712, 70715, 70747, 70748, 70775, 70782, 70787

Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.