Frost dates for St. Gabriel, 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 9
typical year
Safe to plant
March 10
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
December 13
typical year
Growing season
308 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 12 – 26 | – |
| Spinach | – | Dec 29 – Jan 19 | Oct 18 – Nov 1 |
| Lettuce | – | Jan 12 – Feb 2 | Oct 18 – Nov 1 |
| Radishes | – | Jan 12 – Feb 23 | Nov 1 – 15 |
| Onions | – | Jan 12 – 26 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Jan 19 – Feb 2 | – |
| Carrots | – | Jan 19 – Feb 9 | Sep 20 – Oct 4 |
| Beets | – | Jan 12 – 26 | Oct 4 – 18 |
| Kale | Dec 1 – 15 | Jan 12 – 26 | Oct 4 – 18 |
| Broccoli | Dec 1 – 15 | Jan 26 – Feb 9 | Oct 4 – 18 |
| Cabbage | Nov 17 – Dec 1 | Jan 12 – 26 | Oct 4 – 18 |
| Garlic | – | – | Nov 1 – 22 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 13 – 27 | Mar 10 – 24 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 6 – 20 | Mar 17 – 31 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Mar 10 – 31 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Mar 10 – Apr 7 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Mar 10 – 31 | – |
| Green beans | – | Mar 10 – Oct 4 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 10 – Apr 7 | – |
| Basil | Feb 3 – 17 | Mar 17 – 24 | – |
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 10 | February 9 | January 12 |
| Fall frost before | November 16 | December 13 | January 11 |
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 27 (February 27 in a late year), and the first one in fall around January 1.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 4 towns.
St. Gabriel, White Castle, French Settlement, Port Vincent
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station CARVILLE 2 SW, LA US (USC00161565), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 6 zip codes, all within 13 miles:
70721, 70734, 70737, 70769, 70776, 70788
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.