Clayton, LA 71326 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Clayton, LA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 03/16, about 200 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/09, about 237 frost-free days later.
Clayton sits in USDA Zone 8b (15 to 20°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 10 weeks of growing season left in Clayton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 03/16 isn't a guarantee
03/16 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/25 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/06 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Clayton compares
Clayton's growing season runs about 237 days, ranking 9,146 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within LA, it ranks 670 of 710.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Clayton can differ from the 71326 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 8b and Clayton's frost date answer different questions.