Frost dates for St Bernard, 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 4
typical year
Safe to plant
March 6
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 15
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 7 – 21 | – |
| Spinach | – | Dec 24 – Jan 14 | Oct 20 – Nov 3 |
| Lettuce | – | Jan 7 – 28 | Oct 20 – Nov 3 |
| Radishes | – | Jan 7 – Feb 18 | Nov 3 – 17 |
| Onions | – | Jan 7 – 21 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Jan 14 – 28 | – |
| Carrots | – | Jan 14 – Feb 4 | Sep 22 – Oct 6 |
| Beets | – | Jan 7 – 21 | Oct 6 – 20 |
| Kale | Nov 26 – Dec 10 | Jan 7 – 21 | Oct 6 – 20 |
| Broccoli | Nov 26 – Dec 10 | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Oct 6 – 20 |
| Cabbage | Nov 12 – 26 | Jan 7 – 21 | Oct 6 – 20 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 3 – 24 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 9 – 23 | Mar 6 – 20 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 2 – 16 | Mar 13 – 27 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Mar 6 – 27 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Mar 6 – Apr 3 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Mar 6 – 27 | – |
| Green beans | – | Mar 6 – Oct 6 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 6 – Apr 3 | – |
| Basil | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Mar 13 – 20 | – |
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 6 | February 4 | December 31 |
| Fall frost before | November 23 | December 15 | January 10 |
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 21 (February 23 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 30.
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station ST BERNARD, LA US (USC00168108), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 2 zip codes, all within 6 miles:
70085, 70092
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.