Luling climate

Luling Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for New Orleans Intl AP, 13 km from Luling, elevation 4 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for New Orleans Intl AP. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.

The last spring freeze typically comes around January 30 and the first fall freeze around December 31, a growing season of about 333 days.

Median at 36°F
last February 16, first December 9
Median at 32°F
last January 30, first December 31
Median at 28°F
last January 20, first January 7

Last freeze in spring

The chance of a later freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one spring in ten still freezes after the date; planting after the 10 percent date for 32°F is the cautious choice.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FMar 12Mar 5Feb 27Feb 22Feb 16Feb 9Feb 2Jan 28Jan 20
32°FFeb 27Feb 18Feb 8Feb 2Jan 30Jan 25Jan 18Jan 9Dec 29
28°FFeb 14Feb 5Jan 31Jan 25Jan 20Jan 15Jan 9Jan 3Dec 24
24°FFeb 9Feb 1Jan 26Jan 22Jan 18Jan 13Jan 9Jan 5Jan 1
20°F–––––––––
16°F–––––––––

First freeze in fall

The chance of an earlier freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one fall in ten freezes before the date.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FNov 16Nov 25Nov 30Dec 5Dec 9Dec 16Dec 23Dec 31Jan 8
32°FDec 1Dec 8Dec 17Dec 24Dec 31Jan 3Jan 8Jan 16Jan 31
28°FDec 11Dec 24Jan 1Jan 4Jan 7Jan 13Jan 19Jan 28Feb 6
24°FDec 24Jan 2Jan 5Jan 8Jan 12Jan 17Jan 21Jan 28Feb 8
20°F–––––––––
16°F–––––––––

Growing season length

Days between the last spring and first fall freeze at each threshold, with the chance of a season at least that long.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F332320311304297290282273261
32°F365359350339333326318308296
28°F365365365365365357347337327
24°F365365365365365365365365352
20°F365365365365365365365365365
16°F365365365365365365365365365

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
99% of years
32°F or colder
87% of years
28°F or colder
50% of years
24°F or colder
17% of years
20°F or colder
3% of years
16°F or colder
0% of years

Degree days

A degree day is one degree of the daily mean temperature beyond a base, for one day. Heating degree days count cold (the fuel a house burns), cooling degree days heat, growing degree days the warmth a crop needs; each crop has its own base.

Heating degree days, base 65°F
1,176
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,206
Growing degree days, base 40°F
11,166
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,374
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,640
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,011
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,529

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January35018196
February22632249
March11981433
April27180603
May1378842
June0520970
July05871,052
August05871,052
September0474924
October21252696
November14367380
December29130241

What this means

NOAA computes these from the daily lows at the station over 1991-2020, fitting the dates of each year's last and first freeze to a distribution, so a date can be stated at any level of risk. 36°F is a frost risk for tender plants on a clear, calm night, since the ground cools below the air above it; 32°F is a freeze; 28°F is a hard freeze that kills most annuals.

The station is 13 km from Luling. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USW00012916 (New Orleans Intl AP). Public domain.