Frost dates for Lafayette, 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 26
typical year
Safe to plant
March 20
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
November 28
typical year
Growing season
279 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 29 – Feb 12 | – |
| Spinach | – | Jan 15 – Feb 5 | Oct 3 – 17 |
| Lettuce | – | Jan 29 – Feb 19 | Oct 3 – 17 |
| Radishes | – | Jan 29 – Mar 12 | Oct 17 – 31 |
| Onions | – | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Feb 5 – 19 | – |
| Carrots | – | Feb 5 – 26 | Sep 5 – 19 |
| Beets | – | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Sep 19 – Oct 3 |
| Kale | Dec 18 – Jan 1 | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Sep 19 – Oct 3 |
| Broccoli | Dec 18 – Jan 1 | Feb 12 – 26 | Sep 19 – Oct 3 |
| Cabbage | Dec 4 – 18 | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Sep 19 – Oct 3 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 17 – Nov 7 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 16 – 30 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Mar 20 – Apr 10 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Mar 20 – Apr 10 | – |
| Green beans | – | Mar 20 – Sep 19 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | – |
| Basil | Feb 13 – 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 3 | – |
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 20 | February 26 | January 29 |
| Fall frost before | November 7 | November 28 | December 26 |
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 5 (March 8 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 14.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 5 towns.
Lafayette, Carencro, Scott, Maurice, Duson
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station LAFAYETTE, LA US (USC00165021), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 7 zip codes, all within 10 miles:
70503, 70506, 70507, 70529, 70555, 70558, 70583
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.