Photo: Paul Sableman · CC BY 2.0For weather, Louisiana is about as ordinary as U.S. towns get
On a normal January night the air cools to about 20°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 63% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.0° rise. Tender plants can go out after about April 4; in half of years the first frost comes by November 1.
A year in Louisiana at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Louisiana’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Louisiana’s place in Missouri beside it.
What a year in Louisiana feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 208 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Clarksville L&d 24, MO, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Louisiana’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Louisiana, MO, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 39 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February 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 Louisiana
80% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Clarksville L&d 24, MO.
Living with Louisiana’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
208 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 4 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Louisiana from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Louisiana and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Louisiana in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Louisiana’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana, MO | 20° | 87° | 39" | 9.9" |
| Mission, KS | 21° | 88° | 40" | 11" |
| Trenton, OH | 22° | 86° | 42" | 9.7" |
| Terre Haute, IN | 21° | 87° | 43" | 15" |
| Danville, IL | 18° | 85° | 41" | 15" |
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 Louisiana averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Louisiana compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Louisiana’s place among Missouri’s.
Louisiana weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Louisiana’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Louisiana, MO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 20° | 2.0" | 5.1" | 7 | 6 | 22° – 40° |
| February | 42° | 24° | 1.9" | 1.0" | 7 | 3 | 22° – 44° |
| March | 53° | 33° | 2.8" | 0.8" | 9 | 1 | 36° – 57° |
| April | 66° | 43° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| May | 75° | 54° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 59° – 73° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 87° | 67° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| August | 86° | 65° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| September | 79° | 57° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| October | 67° | 45° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| November | 53° | 34° | 2.6" | 0.4" | 7 | 1 | 36° – 52° |
| December | 41° | 25° | 2.2" | 2.6" | 7 | 2 | 19° – 42° |
| Year | 64° | 44° | 39.2" | 9.9" | 99 | 14 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 42°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Louisiana’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 Louisiana’s center.
- Snow: Louisiana, MO (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Clarksville L&d 24, 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 Louisiana’s climate
What is the weather like in Louisiana?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Louisiana in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 108 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Louisiana get?
About 9.9 inches in a normal winter at Louisiana, MO, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 14 days a year.
How hot does it get in Louisiana?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 67°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Clarksville L&d 24, MO).
When is the first and last frost in Louisiana?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 4 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 208 frost-free days, at Clarksville L&d 24, MO.
What growing zone is Louisiana in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Louisiana?
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 Louisiana getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Louisiana.
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.