Photo: Chris Litherland · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Sunset: 62 inches a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 41° on average. A year here swings 51° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Its January nights stay gentler than in 90% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around February 28; autumn frost returns near November 23.
A year in Sunset at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sunset’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sunset’s place in Louisiana beside it.
What a year in Sunset 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 February 28 and the first by November 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grand Coteau, LA, 1.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sunset’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 62 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and March the driest. Rain falls on about 111 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Lafayette, LA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sunset
35% 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 Grand Coteau, LA.
Living with Sunset’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 Feb 28 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 23.
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 Sunset from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sunset and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sunset yet.
Climates most like Sunset’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset, LA | 41° | 92° | 62" | 0.0" |
| Gonzalez, FL | 42° | 91° | 64" | 0.0" |
| Foley, AL | 42° | 91° | 63" | 0.1" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
| Vancleave, MS | 40° | 91° | 66" | 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 Sunset averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.3°).
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 Sunset compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sunset’s place among Louisiana’s.
Sunset weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sunset’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lafayette, LA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 41° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| February | 66° | 45° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 64° |
| March | 73° | 51° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| April | 79° | 57° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| May | 85° | 65° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 78° |
| June | 90° | 71° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| July | 92° | 73° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 81° – 85° |
| August | 92° | 73° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 79° – 86° |
| September | 88° | 68° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| October | 81° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| November | 71° | 48° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| December | 64° | 43° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 61° |
| Year | 78° | 58° | 62.3" | 0.0" | 111 | 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 64°. July is the most reliable, staying within 4°.
Where Sunset’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 Sunset’s center.
- Snow: Lafayette, LA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grand Coteau, LA, 1.6 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 Sunset’s climate
What is the weather like in Sunset?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sunset in winter?
January nights average 41°. About 18 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Sunset get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Lafayette, LA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Sunset?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 73°. About 93 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Grand Coteau, LA).
When is the first and last frost in Sunset?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 28 and the first fall frost by November 23, about 267 frost-free days, at Grand Coteau, LA.
What growing zone is Sunset 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 Sunset?
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 Sunset getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° 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 Sunset.
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.