Photo: Hot Furnace · CC BY-SA 4.0Ball is among the wettest of U.S. towns: 59 inches of precipitation a year
Nights in January average 39°. A year here swings 54° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 88% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from February to April and October to November brings highs of 64–80°.
A year in Ball at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ball’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ball’s place in Louisiana beside it.
What a year in Ball feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 239 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 16 and the first by November 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Alexandria Esler Rgnl Airport, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ball’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 20°. 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 59 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 94 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.4" in a normal year at Alexandria, LA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Ball
46% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Alexandria Esler Rgnl Airport.
Living with Ball’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
239 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 16 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October and November. 3.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ball from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ball and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ball yet.
Climates most like Ball’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ball, LA | 39° | 92° | 59" | 0.4" |
| Columbia, MS | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.2" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
| Opp, AL | 37° | 91° | 59" | 0.3" |
| DeFuniak Springs, FL | 39° | 91° | 62" | 0.0" |
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 Ball averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.3°).
A smaller shift than in 96% 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 Ball compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ball’s place among Louisiana’s.
Ball weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ball’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Alexandria, LA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 39° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 56° |
| February | 64° | 42° | 5.1" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 62° |
| March | 71° | 48° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| April | 78° | 55° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| May | 85° | 63° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 77° |
| June | 90° | 70° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| July | 92° | 72° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 80° – 86° |
| August | 93° | 72° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 78° – 88° |
| September | 88° | 66° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 75° – 81° |
| October | 80° | 55° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| November | 69° | 46° | 5.2" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| December | 61° | 40° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 58° |
| Year | 77° | 56° | 59.3" | 0.4" | 94 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 62°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Ball’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 Ball’s center.
- Snow: Alexandria, LA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Alexandria Esler Rgnl Airport, 7 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 Ball’s climate
What is the weather like in Ball?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ball in winter?
January nights average 39°. About 35 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Ball get?
About 0.4 inches in a normal winter at Alexandria, LA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Ball?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 72°. About 102 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Alexandria Esler Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Ball?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 16 and the first fall frost by November 8, about 239 frost-free days, at Alexandria Esler Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is Ball in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ball?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ball getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ball.
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.