Winter nights in La Belle are colder than in 75% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 86°. May is the wettest month here, with about 3.4 times the rain of January. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 63% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from April to June and September to October, with highs of 64–83°.
A year in La Belle at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Belle’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Belle’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in La Belle feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 17 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Steffenville, MO, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Belle’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Steffenville, MO, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Belle
84% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Steffenville, MO.
Living with La Belle’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
184 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 17 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Belle from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Belle and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around La Belle yet.
Climates most like La Belle’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Belle, MO | 17° | 86° | 39" | 18" |
| Clinton, IL | 18° | 85° | 39" | 19" |
| Van Wert, OH | 19° | 84° | 39" | 17" |
| Clarinda, IA | 14° | 86° | 36" | 23" |
| Peru, IN | 19° | 84° | 40" | 21" |
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 La Belle averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 96% 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 La Belle compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Belle’s place among Missouri’s.
La Belle weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Belle’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Steffenville, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 17° | 1.6" | 5.8" | 7 | 10 | 19° – 37° |
| February | 40° | 21° | 1.9" | 4.1" | 7 | 6 | 17° – 41° |
| March | 52° | 31° | 2.6" | 2.1" | 8 | 2 | 34° – 56° |
| April | 64° | 42° | 3.9" | 0.7" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 59° |
| May | 73° | 53° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 86° | 66° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| September | 78° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| October | 66° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 32° | 2.5" | 1.0" | 7 | 1 | 34° – 50° |
| December | 39° | 23° | 1.9" | 4.0" | 7 | 6 | 16° – 39° |
| Year | 62° | 42° | 39.4" | 17.8" | 99 | 25 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where La Belle’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 La Belle’s center.
- Snow: Steffenville, MO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Steffenville, MO, 10 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 La Belle’s climate
What is the weather like in La Belle?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Belle in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 113 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does La Belle get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Steffenville, MO, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 25 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Belle?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 66°. About 30 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Steffenville, MO).
When is the first and last frost in La Belle?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 17 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 184 frost-free days, at Steffenville, MO.
What growing zone is La Belle in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Belle?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is La Belle getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Belle.
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.