Erath is among the wettest of U.S. towns: 63 inches of precipitation a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 43°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 48°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 92% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about February 14, with the first autumn frost due around December 5.
A year in Erath at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Erath’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Erath’s place in Louisiana beside it.
What a year in Erath feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 298 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 14 and the first by December 5. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at New Iberia Acadiana Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from New Iberia Acadiana Rgnl Airport, 11 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Erath’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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 63 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and March the driest. Rain falls on about 106 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Abbeville, LA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Erath
32% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55°: December and January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at New Iberia Acadiana Rgnl Airport.
Living with Erath’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
298 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 14 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, October, November and December.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Erath from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Erath and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Erath yet.
Climates most like Erath’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erath, LA | 43° | 91° | 63" | 0.0" |
| Bellview, FL | 43° | 91° | 63" | 0.0" |
| Foley, AL | 42° | 91° | 63" | 0.1" |
| Waveland, MS | 42° | 90° | 64" | 0.0" |
| Mont Belvieu, TX | 44° | 92° | 58" | 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 Erath averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 91% 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 Erath compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Erath’s place among Louisiana’s.
Erath weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Erath’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Abbeville, LA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 43° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| February | 66° | 47° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 65° |
| March | 72° | 52° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| April | 78° | 59° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| May | 85° | 66° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| June | 89° | 72° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| July | 91° | 74° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 81° – 85° |
| August | 91° | 74° | 6.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 79° – 86° |
| September | 88° | 70° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| October | 81° | 60° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| November | 71° | 50° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| December | 65° | 45° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| Year | 78° | 59° | 62.5" | 0.0" | 106 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 65°. July is the most reliable, staying within 4°.
Where Erath’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 Erath’s center.
- Snow: Abbeville, LA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: New Iberia Acadiana Rgnl Airport, 11 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: New Iberia Acadiana Airport, 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 Erath’s climate
What is the weather like in Erath?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Erath in winter?
January nights average 43°. About 10 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Erath get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Abbeville, LA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Erath?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 74°. About 90 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (New Iberia Acadiana Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Erath?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 14 and the first fall frost by December 5, about 298 frost-free days, at New Iberia Acadiana Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is Erath in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Erath?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Erath getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Erath.
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.