Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Gilliam

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Climate in Gilliam · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Gilliam reaches 100° on about 11 days a year, more than 91% of U.S. towns

A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of.

Hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns#1Hottest summers  of 160 in LA
Wetter than 89% of U.S. towns#156 wettest of 160 in LA
All LA rankings →

A year in Gilliam at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan57°36°
Feb61°39°
Mar69°46° Last frost ~Mar 6
Apr76°53° Wettest
May84°62° 4 days 90°+
Jun90°70° 17 days 90°+
Jul94°73° 25 days 90°+
Aug94°72° 25 days 90°+
Sep88°65° 14 days 90°+
Oct78°53° 2 days 90°+
Nov now67°44° First frost ~Nov 19
Dec58°38°

What stands out about Gilliam’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gilliam’s place in Louisiana beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Gilliam feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
59° / 38°
Snow is rare
Spring
76° / 53°
Last frost around Mar 6
Summer
93° / 71°
11 days reach 100°
Fall
78° / 54°
First frost around Nov 19
Best months to be outsideMarAprMayOctNovHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 257 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 6 and the first by November 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mooringsport 1 N, LA, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

35
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
137th fewest of 160 in Louisiana
Fewer freezing nights than 83% of U.S. towns
0
nights at or below 0°
None in a normal year
87
days that reach 90°
81st most of 160 in Louisiana
More 90° days than 88% of U.S. towns
11
days that reach 100°
2nd most of 160 in Louisiana
More 100° days than 91% of U.S. towns
8bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 8b

The 2023 USDA map puts Gilliam’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

12
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

25
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 52 inches of rain a year

April is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 76 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Hosston, LA, so most winters see none.

52"
Rain + melted snow a year
156th wettest of 160 in Louisiana
Wetter than 89% of U.S. towns
0.5"
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 81% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

5.1"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Gilliam

49% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.

2,323 heating degree daysLess heating than 85% of U.S. towns
2,457 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 89% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Mooringsport 1 N, LA.

Living here

Living with Gilliam’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

257 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 6 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 19.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gilliam from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Gilliam and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gilliam yet.

Climates most like Gilliam’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Gilliam, LA36°94°52"0.5"
Montgomery, AL36°92°52"0.3"
Summerville, SC37°92°50"0.3"
West Livingston, TX40°94°52"0.1"
Greenville, MS35°92°56"0.4"

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Gilliam averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.5°).

+0.8°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 87% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.4°now 48°, was 47°
Spring+0.8°now 65°, was 64°
Summer+0.6°now 82°, was 81°
Fall+0.6°now 66°, was 65°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Gilliam compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gilliam’s place among Louisiana’s.

Summer heat94° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. townsThe hottest of 160 in Louisiana
Winter cold36° January low
Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns142nd mildest of 160 in Louisiana
Precipitation52" a year
Wetter than 89% of U.S. towns156th wettest of 160 in Louisiana
Snow0.5" a winter
Less snow than 81% of U.S. townsNot ranked: under an inch a year
Hot days87 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 88% of U.S. towns81st most of 160 in Louisiana
Freezing nights35 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 83% of U.S. towns137th fewest of 160 in Louisiana
Growing season257 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 92% of U.S. towns102nd longest of 143 in Louisiana
Month by month

Gilliam weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gilliam’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hosston, LA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January57°36°4.6"0.2"7042° – 53°
February61°39°4.5"0.3"7042° – 58°
March69°46°5.1"0.0"8052° – 65°
April76°53°5.1"0.0"6059° – 69°
May84°62°4.8"0.0"7069° – 78°
June90°70°4.3"0.0"7077° – 85°
July94°73°3.4"0.0"6079° – 88°
August94°72°3.0"0.0"5077° – 91°
September88°65°3.7"0.0"5073° – 83°
October78°53°4.7"0.0"6062° – 72°
November67°44°4.2"0.0"7050° – 60°
December58°38°5.1"0.0"7039° – 54°
Year76°54°52.3"0.5"760
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 58°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Gilliam’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 Gilliam’s center.
  • Snow: Hosston, LA.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mooringsport 1 N, LA, 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 Gilliam’s climate

What is the weather like in Gilliam?

A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Gilliam in winter?

January nights average 36°. About 35 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.

How much snow does Gilliam get?

About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Hosston, LA, so most winters see none.

How hot does it get in Gilliam?

July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 73°. About 87 days a year reach 90° and 11 reach 100° (Mooringsport 1 N, LA).

When is the first and last frost in Gilliam?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 6 and the first fall frost by November 19, about 257 frost-free days, at Mooringsport 1 N, LA.

What growing zone is Gilliam in?

Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.

What is the best time of year to visit Gilliam?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Gilliam getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 87% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gilliam.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.