Oretta is among the wettest of U.S. towns: 60 inches of precipitation a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 41°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 89% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 2 to November 25.
A year in Oretta at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Oretta’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Oretta’s place in Louisiana beside it.
What a year in Oretta 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 2 and the first by November 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Moss Bluff 2 Nnw, LA, 19 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Oretta’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 60 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and March the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Oretta
38% 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 Moss Bluff 2 Nnw, LA.
Living with Oretta’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 2 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 25.
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 Oretta from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Oretta and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Oretta yet.
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 Oretta averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 93% 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 Oretta compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Oretta’s place among Louisiana’s.
Oretta weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Oretta’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 41° | 5.8" | 44° – 58° |
| February | 65° | 45° | 4.2" | 46° – 63° |
| March | 72° | 50° | 4.0" | 55° – 69° |
| April | 78° | 57° | 4.6" | 63° – 72° |
| May | 85° | 64° | 5.1" | 72° – 78° |
| June | 90° | 71° | 6.1" | 78° – 84° |
| July | 92° | 73° | 5.3" | 80° – 85° |
| August | 92° | 72° | 5.2" | 78° – 87° |
| September | 89° | 68° | 4.8" | 75° – 82° |
| October | 80° | 57° | 4.8" | 65° – 74° |
| November | 70° | 48° | 4.9" | 54° – 64° |
| December | 63° | 42° | 5.5" | 45° – 59° |
| Year | 78° | 57° | 60.4" |
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 63°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Oretta’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 Oretta’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Moss Bluff 2 Nnw, LA, 19 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 Oretta’s climate
What is the weather like in Oretta?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 41°. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Oretta in winter?
January nights average 41°. About 25 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How hot does it get in Oretta?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 73°. About 93 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Moss Bluff 2 Nnw, LA).
When is the first and last frost in Oretta?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 2 and the first fall frost by November 25, about 267 frost-free days, at Moss Bluff 2 Nnw, LA.
What growing zone is Oretta 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 Oretta?
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 Oretta getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oretta.
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.