Frost dates · USDA zone 9a
Frost dates for Lafayette, LA
Lafayette, LA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around February 26 and its first of fall around November 28 — a 279-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Jan 29 | Dec 26 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Feb 26 | Nov 28 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 20 | Nov 7 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 279 days median, at least 247 in 9 years of 10, at least 312 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Feb 5 and first of Dec 14.
Lafayette planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Feb 26) and median first frost (Nov 28) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Dec 4 | Jan 29 | May 19 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Feb 26 | Mar 28 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Feb 12 | Feb 12 | Mar 29 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Jan 29 | Mar 12 | May 11 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 1 | Mar 5 | May 19 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Dec 18 | Mar 12 | Jun 15 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 1 | Mar 5 | May 19 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 1 | Mar 5 | May 24 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 1 | Mar 5 | May 24 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Feb 12 | Feb 12 | Apr 23 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Jan 15 | Mar 5 | May 14 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Jan 15 | Mar 5 | May 19 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Jan 15 | Mar 5 | May 24 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Lafayette grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Lafayette container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Lafayette frost questions
When is the last frost in Lafayette, LA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at LAFAYETTE, LA is February 26: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 20; nine years in ten, it comes after January 29. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Lafayette, LA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 28. One year in ten it arrives before November 7; nine years in ten, before December 26.
How long is the growing season in Lafayette, LA?
279 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 247 days; one year in ten, at least 312 days.
What growing zone is Lafayette, LA?
USDA hardiness zone 9a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 70503. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Lafayette, LA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Jan 15 and transplant around Mar 5, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 20. First ripe fruit lands around May 19.
When should I plant peppers in Lafayette, LA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 1; transplant no earlier than Mar 5, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around May 19.
Nearby in Louisiana
- Baton Rougelast frost Feb 25
- Lake Charleslast frost Feb 14
- Alexandrialast frost Mar 3
- Kennerlast frost Jan 30
- New Orleanslast frost Jan 22
- Monroelast frost Mar 8
All Louisiana frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →