Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Precipitation in La Center tops that of 85% of U.S. towns: 50 inches a year
July afternoons average 89°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in April and the lightest in August. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 73% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in La Center at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Center’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Center’s place in Kentucky beside it.
What a year in La Center feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 206 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Paducah, KY, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Center’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Paducah, KY, is heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; April is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 114 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Center
70% 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 Paducah, KY.
Living with La Center’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
206 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 5 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Center from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Center and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around La Center yet.
Climates most like La Center’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Center, KY | 27° | 89° | 50" | 8.9" |
| Cherokee Village, AR | 26° | 90° | 50" | 6.7" |
| Bon Air, VA | 28° | 89° | 47" | 8.8" |
| Neosho, MO | 25° | 90° | 47" | 8.1" |
| Morganton, NC | 29° | 89° | 50" | 4.5" |
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 La Center averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 78% 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 La Center compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Center’s place among Kentucky’s.
La Center weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Center’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Paducah, KY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 27° | 3.8" | 2.7" | 10 | 2 | 29° – 44° |
| February | 49° | 30° | 3.8" | 3.0" | 9 | 2 | 28° – 48° |
| March | 59° | 38° | 4.9" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 41° – 61° |
| April | 70° | 47° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| May | 78° | 57° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| June | 86° | 65° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 89° | 69° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| August | 88° | 67° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 59° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| October | 71° | 48° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| November | 58° | 37° | 4.3" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| December | 47° | 30° | 4.3" | 1.8" | 10 | 2 | 26° – 48° |
| Year | 68° | 48° | 50.4" | 8.9" | 114 | 7 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 48°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where La Center’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 La Center’s center.
- Snow: Paducah, KY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Paducah, KY, 11 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 La Center’s climate
What is the weather like in La Center?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Center in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 83 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does La Center get?
About 8.9 inches in a normal winter at Paducah, KY, heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Center?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 69°. About 50 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Paducah, KY).
When is the first and last frost in La Center?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 206 frost-free days, at Paducah, KY.
What growing zone is La Center in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Center?
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 La Center getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Center.
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.