Frost dates by ZIP code: The nearest NOAA stations to your ZIP, 1991-2020 normals
Enter a five-digit ZIP code. PlainClimate finds its center (Census Bureau 2024) and the five nearest NOAA stations with frost dates, and shows each station's last spring and first autumn 32°F dates with its distance and elevation.
Frost dates near ZIP 71272
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 71272 in zone 8b (the coldest night of a typical year: 15 to 20°F).
The nearest station, Ruston, LA, is 1 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after March 11 in half of years and after March 31 in one year in ten. By the USDA's method its plant hardiness zone is 8b.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruston, LARuston La Tech | 1 mi | 295 ft | March 11 | March 31 | November 16 | 8b |
| Calhoun, LACalhoun Research Station | 18 mi | 120 ft | March 28 | April 14 | November 5 | 8b |
| Bienville, LA3 mi NE | 20 mi | 307 ft | March 19 | April 10 | November 9 | 8b |
| Farmerville, LA | 22 mi | 180 ft | March 14 | April 2 | November 16 | 8b |
| Homer, LA1 mi N | 31 mi | 215 ft | March 30 | April 16 | November 6 | 8b |
Frost comes later in spring at higher and colder stations and earlier in low, open ground: prefer a station at a similar elevation to yours. Hardiness zone in the table: the USDA's rule (the average of each year's coldest night, 1991-2020) applied to the station's own record.
Every frost threshold at Ruston
NOAA publishes the dates for several temperatures and odds. A 30% spring date means a 3-in-10 chance of a later frost (the convention almanacs use); 50% is the median; 10% the cautious date.
| Threshold | Spring, 10% | Spring, 30% | Spring, 50% | Spring, 90% | Autumn, 50% | Autumn, 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost) | April 14 | April 3 | March 27 | March 6 | November 4 | October 21 |
| 32°F | March 31 | March 20 | March 11 | February 18 | November 16 | October 31 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | March 17 | March 5 | February 24 | January 29 | December 1 | November 10 |
| 24°F | March 6 | February 15 | February 1 | January 7 | December 22 | November 22 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals; ZIP centers: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. Autumn 10%: one year in ten has its first frost before this date.