New Orleans, Louisiana: planting zone & frost dates
New Orleans is in USDA plant hardiness zone 9b, where the average coldest winter night reaches 25 to 30°F (-3.9 to -1.1°C). The typical last spring frost is around Feb 1 and the first fall frost around Dec 29.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Feb 23 | Dec 13 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Feb 1 | Dec 29 |
| Median (50%) | Jan 22 | Jan 5 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station NEW ORLEANS LAKEFRONT AP, LA (USW00053917), 5.7 mi (9.1 km) from the city center and 13 ft higher than the city center (+4 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 21 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across New Orleans
All 20 ZIP codes covering New Orleans are in zone 9b.
Vegetable planting calendar for New Orleans
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Feb 1, first frost Dec 29). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | — | — |
| Pepper | Nov 23 – Dec 7 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | — | — |
| Lettuce Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | Dec 21 – Jan 4 | Jan 18 – Feb 8 | Jan 4 – Feb 15 | Oct 20 – Nov 17 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Feb 8 – Mar 15 | Oct 6 – Oct 20 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Feb 8 – Mar 8 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Jan 4 – Jan 11 | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Feb 8 – Mar 1 | Oct 6 – Oct 20 |
| Cucumber | Jan 4 – Jan 11 | Feb 15 – Feb 22 | Feb 8 – Mar 1 | Oct 6 – Oct 20 |
| Carrot Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | — | Jan 11 – Feb 15 | Oct 6 – Oct 20 |
| Onion Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | Nov 9 – Nov 23 | Jan 4 – Jan 18 | — | — |
| Potato Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | Jan 4 – Jan 25 | — | — |
| Basil | Dec 21 – Jan 4 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Feb 15 – Mar 8 | — |
| Spinach Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | — | Dec 21 – Jan 18 | Nov 3 – Dec 1 |
| Kale Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | Jan 4 – Jan 25 | Jan 4 – Jan 25 | Oct 20 – Nov 17 |
| Broccoli Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | Jan 18 – Feb 8 | — | Oct 6 – Oct 20 |
| Peas Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | — | Dec 21 – Jan 11 | Oct 20 – Nov 3 |
| Eggplant | Nov 23 – Dec 7 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | — | — |
| Cabbage Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | Jan 4 – Jan 18 | — | Oct 6 – Oct 20 |
| Radish Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | — | Dec 28 – Feb 15 | Nov 17 – Dec 15 |
| Strawberry | — | Jan 4 – Jan 25 | — | — |
| Beets Mild winters: fall and winter plantings are usually more reliable than spring. | — | — | Jan 11 – Feb 22 | Oct 20 – Nov 3 |
Nearby cities in Louisiana
- Baton Rouge — zone 9a, last frost Mar 10, first frost Nov 15
- Lafayette — zone 9a, last frost Mar 7, first frost Nov 19
- Lake Charles — zone 9a, last frost Feb 26, first frost Nov 28
- Shreveport — zone 8b, last frost Mar 17, first frost Nov 11
More: all Louisiana cities · other zone 9b cities: Houston, TX, Phoenix, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, San Jose, CA, Fresno, CA, Sacramento, CA, Mesa, AZ, Bakersfield, CA
New Orleans gardening questions
When is the last frost in New Orleans, LA?
Plan around Feb 1. At NOAA's NEW Orleans Lakefront Airport, LA station, 5.7 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Jan 22, and after Feb 23 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Jan 18. Springs here are erratic: 57 days separate the 90% and 10% dates, versus a median of 36 days for cities on this site, so watch the forecast rather than the calendar.
When should I plant tomatoes in New Orleans, LA?
Start seeds indoors Dec 7 – Dec 21 and set transplants outside Feb 8 – Feb 22, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. With about 331 frost-free days, frost is not the main limit — fruit set drops when nights stay above about 75°F, so early plantings tend to do best. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in New Orleans?
About 348 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 310 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 365 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Dec 13 and a 30% chance by Dec 29. That is the longest of the 5 Louisiana cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in New Orleans?
Count back from the first fall frost (Dec 29): transplant broccoli Oct 6 – Oct 20; sow kale Oct 20 – Nov 17; sow lettuce Oct 20 – Nov 17; sow radishes Nov 17 – Dec 15. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Jan 11. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did New Orleans's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
No. Going by the zone that covers most of the city's land, New Orleans is zone 9b on both the 2012 and the 2023 USDA maps (PRISM/OSU ZIP listings). About 42% of U.S. ZIP codes kept their half-zone in 2023. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
How does New Orleans compare with Gulfport, MS?
New Orleans is zone 9b and Gulfport is zone 9a. The typical last spring frost in New Orleans (Feb 1) comes about 32 days earlier than in Gulfport, MS (Mar 5), 58 miles away, and the first fall frost is Dec 29 versus Nov 25. The two cities use different NOAA stations.