Photo: Roy Luck · CC BY 2.0Taft’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Taft at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Taft’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Taft’s place in Louisiana beside it.
What a year in Taft feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze most winters
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at New Orleans International Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Taft’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 27°. 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 64 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 97 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Reserve, LA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Taft
27% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from 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 New Orleans International Airport.
Living with Taft’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 9b. Frost comes about 9 winters in 10, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, October, November and December. 7.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Taft from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Taft and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Taft in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Taft’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taft, LA | 43° | 92° | 64" | 0.0" |
| Gonzalez, FL | 42° | 91° | 64" | 0.0" |
| Orange, TX | 42° | 91° | 62" | 0.0" |
| Foley, AL | 42° | 91° | 63" | 0.1" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Taft averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Taft compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Taft’s place among Louisiana’s.
Taft weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Taft’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Reserve, LA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63° | 43° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 59° |
| February | 67° | 47° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 67° |
| March | 73° | 52° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 71° |
| April | 79° | 59° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| May | 86° | 66° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| June | 90° | 72° | 7.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| July | 92° | 74° | 7.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 81° – 85° |
| August | 92° | 74° | 7.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 79° – 86° |
| September | 88° | 70° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| October | 81° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| November | 71° | 50° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| December | 65° | 46° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| Year | 79° | 59° | 64.1" | 0.0" | 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 47° to 67°. June is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Taft’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 Taft’s center.
- Snow: Reserve, LA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: New Orleans International Airport, 12 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 Taft’s climate
What is the weather like in Taft?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Taft in winter?
January nights average 43°. About 5 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How much snow does Taft get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Reserve, LA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Taft?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 74°. About 85 days a year reach 90° (New Orleans International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Taft?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 87% of winters at New Orleans International Airport, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Taft in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Taft?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Taft getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Taft.
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.