Frost Dates
Frost Dates · Louisiana

Frost dates for Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Louisiana · first & last freeze, from NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals

Typical last spring freeze (32°F)
February 28
median date, 1991–2020
Typical first fall freeze (32°F)
November 26
median date, 1991–2020
Typical frost-free season
271 days
between the median dates

In a typical year, the last spring freeze around Baton Rouge comes near February 28 and the first fall freeze near November 26. One year in ten, a freeze still arrives after March 21 in spring — and one year in ten, the first fall freeze has already landed by November 6. NCEI's own growing-season statistic (days between freezes, percentiled per year) puts the median at 272 days.

JFMAMJJASONDFebruary 28November 26
The year at a glance: blue bands span the 9-in-10 to 1-in-10 range where the last spring / first fall 32°F freeze lands; the green band is the typical frost-free window between the median dates. Measured at Lsu Ben-Hur Farm, LA (USC00165620), 5.7 mi from the city's census reference point, elev. 21 ft. NOAA/NCEI 1991–2020 normals.

Freeze-date probabilities, three thresholds

ThresholdLast spring — 9 in 10 years past byLast spring — typical (median)Last spring — 1 in 10 years later thanFirst fall — 1 in 10 years byFirst fall — typical (median)First fall — 9 in 10 years by
36°F — near-freezing (frost can occur)February 21March 16April 5October 29November 12December 1
32°F — freezingJanuary 31February 28March 21November 6November 26December 22
28°F — hard freezeJanuary 7February 7March 10November 20December 16January 16

Measured at Lsu Ben-Hur Farm, LA (USC00165620), 5.7 mi from the city's census reference point, elev. 21 ft. NOAA/NCEI 1991–2020 normals. Read each date column as odds over the 30-year record — e.g. "9 in 10 years past by" means only one spring in ten saw a later freeze than that date.

Frost-free windows (computed)

Window (32°F ends)OpensClosesLength
Cautious (1-in-10 freeze risk at each end)March 21November 6230 days
Typical (median freeze dates)February 28November 26271 days
Gambler's (9-in-10 freeze risk at each end)January 31December 22325 days

Pure arithmetic on the freeze-date percentiles above — the "cautious" window opens on the date only 1 year in 10 still sees a later spring freeze, and closes on the date by which only 1 year in 10 has already frozen.

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