Bastrop, LA 71220 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Bastrop, LA?
Around 03/15 is the usual last spring frost, about 199 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/12, about 241 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Bastrop in Zone 8b (15 to 20°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 11 weeks of growing season left in Bastrop before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 03/15 isn't a guarantee
03/15 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/26 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/03 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Bastrop compares
Bastrop's growing season runs about 241 days, ranking 8,534 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within LA, it ranks 640 of 710.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Bastrop can differ from the 71220 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8b and Bastrop's frost date answer different questions.