U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00164696 · Louisiana

Frost Dates for Jena, LA

NOAA weather station Jena (USC00164696), Louisiana · elevation 143 ft (44 m) · hardiness zone 8b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 9only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 1950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 1250% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season238 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Jena, LASpring: a frost after February 25 in 9 years out of 10, after March 19 in half of the years, after April 9 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 29 in 1 year out of 10, before November 12 in half of the years, before December 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 238 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 19First frost ~Nov 12Frost season at Jena, LASpring: a frost after February 25 in 9 years out of 10, after March 19 in half of the years, after April 9 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 29 in 1 year out of 10, before November 12 in half of the years, before December 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 238 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 19First frost ~Nov 12
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 9October 29
50% (typical)March 19November 12
90% (likely)February 25December 2
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
238 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 1
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 25

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 11 (8 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 10 (2 days earlier). Frost-free season 244 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Jena: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 9, 20% April 4, 30% March 30, 40% March 25, 50% March 19, 60% March 14, 70% March 8, 80% March 2, 90% February 25.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 9Mar 19Feb 25Fall at Jena: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 29, 20% November 2, 30% November 5, 40% November 8, 50% November 12, 60% November 15, 70% November 20, 80% November 25, 90% December 2.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 29Nov 12Dec 2
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there.

What these dates mean

April 9 is the cautious spring date for Jena; with only a 10 % chance of a light frost later, it lets a gardener set out tender crops with minimal risk. By contrast, the February 25 date carries a 90 % chance of frost, making any earlier planting a gamble.

The 50 % dates—March 19 for spring and November 12 for fall—mark the points where a light frost is equally likely either side, giving a sense of mid-range risk for planting and harvest decisions. The cautious fall date is October 29, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has already arrived, so finishing tender-crop harvest by then keeps risk low.

A hard frost at 28 °F, represented by the March 1 and November 25 50 % dates, is more damaging than a light frost because temperatures that low can kill tissue that survives 32 °F.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after April 9" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 29" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Jena, LANumbered nearest stations: 1 — near Jonesville, LA — 21 mi; 2 — Alexandria, LA — 32 mi; 3 — Winnsboro, LA — 38 mi; 4 — Boyce, LA — 40 mi; 5 — Natchez, MS — 47 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. near Jonesville, LA — 21 mi12. Alexandria, LA — 32 mi23. Winnsboro, LA — 38 mi34. Boyce, LA — 40 mi45. Natchez, MS — 47 mi5
  1. near Jonesville, LA 21 mi (33 km)
  2. Alexandria, LA 32 mi (51 km)
  3. Winnsboro, LA 38 mi (62 km)
  4. Boyce, LA 40 mi (64 km)
  5. Natchez, MS 47 mi (75 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 8b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 31.6783, -92.1289.