Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated Oct 29, 2026

Planting zone for Metairie, LA

Metairie, LA is in USDA zone 9b across its 12 ZIP codes.

Metairie on the zone map

Outlined: its 5 ZIP code areas · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zone9b25 to 30 °F

ZIP codes12

Last frostrare

First frostrare

Growing seasonall year

9b 12 ZIPs

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Metairie, LA…

Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates

A 32 °F frost doesn't happen here in most winters. At the nearest station (NOAA station New Orleans Audubon, LA, elevation 20 ft) the median growing season is 341 days. When frost does come, it is a midwinter night or two; cover tender plants when a freeze is forecast.

Frost data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

When spring arrived in 2026

In 2026, spring leaf-out near 70004 came on Jan 11 — 12 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Jan 23).

average
Jan 232026
Jan 11

JanFebMarAprMayJun

The Spring Index marks the day when accumulated warmth is enough for lilac and honeysuckle to leaf out — a widely used signal that the growing season has started. Source: USA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org — Spring Indices, first leaf, 2026 (data as of 2026-09-08) and 30-year average 1991–2020 (CC BY 4.0).

Native plants for zone 9b in Louisiana

519 plants native to the lower 48 states, recorded in Louisiana, and rated by the USDA to survive 25 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 9b. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Source: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov), National Plant Data Team — state distribution, native status and the “Temperature, Minimum” characteristic. Check light, moisture and soil needs before buying; local nurseries and your state native plant society can confirm what thrives in Metairie, LA.

Soil in Metairie, LA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 70004 is Cancienne — silty clay loam, somewhat poorly drained.

TextureSilty clay loamholds water and nutrients; slow to drain and warm up

pH5.7moderately acidic; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0

DrainageSomewhat poorly drainedconsider raised beds

Organic matter2.25%moderate

Hydrologic groupCwater soaks in slowly

Farmland classprime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Cancienne silty clay loam, 0 to 1 percent slopes.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 70004; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Metairie, LA

Summer high94 °Faverage high, July

Winter low47 °Faverage low, January

Hot days106days a year at 90 °F or more

Freezing nights4nights a year at 32 °F or less

Growing degree days8,076base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat

Longest day14 h 05 mindaylight on June 21

Shortest day10 h 13 mindaylight on December 21

Onions to growShort-daysummer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb

Precipitation68.3 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

Precipitation by month inches

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: New Orleans Audubon, LA (5 mi away); precipitation: Metairie, LA (within 1 mile). Daylight is calculated from latitude.