Photo: Photolitherland Chris Litherland · CC BY-SA 3.0More precipitation falls on Lafe than on 84% of U.S. towns: 50 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 90°. Its July heat outdoes that of 78% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. Garden planting can start around March 26; autumn frost returns near November 6.
A year in Lafe at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lafe’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lafe’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Lafe feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 227 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first by November 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Paragould 1s, AR, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lafe’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Paragould 1s, AR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; May is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 115 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lafe
67% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Paragould 1s, AR.
Living with Lafe’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
227 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 26 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lafe from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (27%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lafe and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lafe yet.
Climates most like Lafe’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafe, AR | 29° | 90° | 50" | 2.5" |
| Franklin, VA | 29° | 90° | 49" | 4.1" |
| Forest City, NC | 29° | 90° | 49" | 4.5" |
| Ashland City, TN | 29° | 90° | 52" | 1.3" |
| Calhoun, GA | 31° | 90° | 52" | 1.8" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Lafe averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Lafe compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lafe’s place among Arkansas’.
Lafe weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lafe’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Paragould 1s, AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 29° | 3.6" | 1.0" | 10 | 1 | 32° – 45° |
| February | 51° | 32° | 3.8" | 0.8" | 9 | 2 | 31° – 50° |
| March | 60° | 40° | 4.7" | 0.4" | 11 | 1 | 43° – 61° |
| April | 71° | 48° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| May | 79° | 58° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| June | 88° | 67° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| July | 90° | 70° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| September | 83° | 60° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| November | 59° | 39° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 55° |
| December | 48° | 32° | 4.4" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 28° – 49° |
| Year | 70° | 49° | 49.9" | 2.5" | 115 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 49°. July is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Lafe’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Lafe’s center.
- Snow: Paragould 1s, AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Paragould 1s, AR, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Lafe’s climate
What is the weather like in Lafe?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lafe in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 63 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Lafe get?
About 2.5 inches in a normal winter at Paragould 1s, AR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lafe?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 70°. About 52 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Paragould 1s, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Lafe?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 26 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 227 frost-free days, at Paragould 1s, AR.
What growing zone is Lafe in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lafe?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lafe getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lafe.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.