Photo: Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Oberlin is among the wettest of U.S. towns: 59 inches of precipitation a year
In January the night’s low is typically 40°. Winter and summer sit 52° apart. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 89% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around March 1; autumn frost returns near November 24.
A year in Oberlin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Oberlin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Oberlin’s place in Louisiana beside it.
What a year in Oberlin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 267 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 1 and the first by November 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Oberlin Fire, LA, 0.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Oberlin’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 23°. 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 March the driest. Rain falls on about 109 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Oberlin Fire, LA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Oberlin
43% 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 Oberlin Fire, LA.
Living with Oberlin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
267 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 1 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October, November and December.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Oberlin from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Oberlin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Oberlin yet.
Climates most like Oberlin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oberlin, LA | 40° | 92° | 59" | 0.1" |
| Crawfordville, FL | 41° | 92° | 57" | 0.0" |
| Dothan, AL | 39° | 92° | 56" | 0.1" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
| Columbia, MS | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.2" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
About as warm as it used to be
The last 30 years in Oberlin averaged 0.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+0.8°).
A smaller shift than in all but 20 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 Oberlin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Oberlin’s place among Louisiana’s.
Oberlin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Oberlin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oberlin Fire, LA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 40° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 57° |
| February | 65° | 44° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 61° |
| March | 72° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| April | 78° | 56° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| May | 85° | 65° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| June | 90° | 71° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| July | 92° | 73° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 80° – 86° |
| August | 92° | 73° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| September | 88° | 68° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| October | 80° | 57° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| November | 70° | 48° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| December | 63° | 42° | 5.3" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| Year | 78° | 57° | 58.7" | 0.1" | 109 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 61°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Oberlin’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 Oberlin’s center.
- Snow: Oberlin Fire, LA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oberlin Fire, LA, 0.3 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 Oberlin’s climate
What is the weather like in Oberlin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Oberlin in winter?
January nights average 40°. About 19 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Oberlin get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Oberlin Fire, LA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Oberlin?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 73°. About 80 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Oberlin Fire, LA).
When is the first and last frost in Oberlin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 1 and the first fall frost by November 24, about 267 frost-free days, at Oberlin Fire, LA.
What growing zone is Oberlin in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Oberlin?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Oberlin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 20 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oberlin.
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.