Photo: Wikilester1999 · CC BY-SA 4.0Natchitoches’ winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Natchitoches at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Natchitoches’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Natchitoches’ place in Louisiana beside it.
What a year in Natchitoches feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 257 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 5 and the first by November 17. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Natchitoches, LA, 2.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Natchitoches #2, LA, 6 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Natchitoches’ center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 57 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 97 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.6" in a normal year at Grand Ecore, LA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Natchitoches
44% 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 Natchitoches #2, LA.
Living with Natchitoches’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
257 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 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 Nov 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October and November. 8.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Natchitoches from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Natchitoches and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Natchitoches yet.
Climates most like Natchitoches’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natchitoches, LA | 38° | 93° | 57" | 0.6" |
| Paradise, CA | 40° | 93° | 57" | 0.1" |
| Richland, MS | 36° | 92° | 58" | 1.0" |
| Marianna, FL | 40° | 92° | 55" | 0.0" |
| Dothan, AL | 39° | 92° | 56" | 0.1" |
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 Natchitoches averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.0°).
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 Natchitoches compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Natchitoches’ place among Louisiana’s.
Natchitoches weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Natchitoches’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Grand Ecore, LA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 38° | 5.5" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 56° |
| February | 64° | 41° | 5.0" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 62° |
| March | 71° | 47° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| April | 78° | 54° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| May | 85° | 63° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| June | 91° | 70° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| July | 93° | 72° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 80° – 88° |
| August | 94° | 72° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 77° – 89° |
| September | 89° | 66° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| October | 80° | 54° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| November | 69° | 45° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| December | 61° | 39° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 58° |
| Year | 78° | 55° | 57.3" | 0.6" | 97 | 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°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Natchitoches’ 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 Natchitoches’ center.
- Snow: Grand Ecore, LA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Natchitoches #2, LA, 6 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Natchitoches, LA, 2.6 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 Natchitoches’ climate
What is the weather like in Natchitoches?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Natchitoches in winter?
January nights average 38°. About 29 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Natchitoches get?
About 0.6 inches in a normal winter at Grand Ecore, LA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Natchitoches?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 72°. About 98 days a year reach 90° and 10 reach 100° (Natchitoches #2, LA).
When is the first and last frost in Natchitoches?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 5 and the first fall frost by November 17, about 257 frost-free days, at Natchitoches #2, LA.
What growing zone is Natchitoches in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Natchitoches?
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 Natchitoches getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° 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 Natchitoches.
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.