Louisiana Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette, and Lake Charles
Summary
Louisiana experienced its 8th warmest July on record as summer heat consolidated across the Deep South, capping a season marked by high humidity and shifting rainfall patterns. In the past month, fire conditions flared, with all of Louisiana's 3 wildfires this year occurring during this period. Meanwhile, global ocean patterns continue to evolve, with a moderate El Niño currently active in the tropical Pacific and forecast to peak at Very Strong between September and November. With elevated temperatures continuing to build across the Gulf Coast, warm conditions are expected to remain firmly entrenched into late summer.
This month in numbers
During July 2026, Louisiana recorded an average temperature of 28.72°C, sitting 1.1°C above the 1961–1990 baseline to rank as the state's 8th warmest on record. Daytime maximum temperatures averaged 33.83°C, which was 0.6°C above normal. Precipitation totalled 105.41 mm, falling 29.4 mm below average to rank 63rd wettest for the month. On the global stage, land temperatures reached 15.8°C, making it the 3rd warmest July in 87 years of records, while the 3-month global land average of 14.34°C ranked 2nd warmest.
What changed
Looking across the broader 3-month season, the May–July period averaged 26.39°C, placing it as the 16th warmest such stretch on record at 0.8°C above average. While recent weeks brought drier conditions, the full 3-month rainfall total reached 531.36 mm, surplus by 142.5 mm to rank as the 10th wettest May–July in 77 years. This moisture surplus stands in contrast to the state's long-term warming trajectory, which shows an overall increase of 1.36°C compared to the baseline. Last year was Louisiana's 7th warmest year on record at 20.31°C, illustrating the sustained thermal momentum affecting the region.
What’s driving change?
The primary atmospheric feature driving recent conditions across the Deep South has been the positioning of summer , which trapped high heat and suppressed convective rainfall. Drying surface vegetation fuelled local fire activity, with all of Louisiana's 3 wildfires this year occurring in the past month, events tracked on our live map at Extreme Weather tracker. On a larger scale, ENSO dynamics are developing in the Pacific, where a moderate El Niño is currently active and forecast with a 93% probability to peak at Very Strong in Sep-Nov, as tracked at ENSO. For the Gulf Coast, El Niño historically brings a 55% tendency towards cooler and wetter winters, though atmospheric responses can vary.
Looking ahead
Official seasonal outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center indicate that warmer than average temperatures are likely to persist across Louisiana through the remainder of late summer and into early autumn.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – USUnited States
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp), plus GPCC (Snow, water-equivalent). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Louisiana
Köppen Cfa · TemperateLouisiana has a temperate climate (Köppen Cfa: Humid subtropical), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 28.4°C, while January is the coldest at 10.1°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1566mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Louisiana
Right axis: everything else standardized to standard deviations (σ) from its own average, since mm/hours/days aren't directly comparable to °C or to each other.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Heatwave Days – Louisiana
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI heatwave measure: days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Louisiana
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Monthly Temperature – Louisiana
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Records – Louisiana
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Cfa · TemperateHow spring and autumn have shifted in Louisiana. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (18.9°C, from 1950–1979); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 18.4°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Mar (+2.4°C).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Climate Systems
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Emissions & Energy
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Louisiana
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Statewide monthly temperature and precipitation (nClimDiv).
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Louisiana changing?
Louisiana is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Louisiana?
Louisiana has a temperate climate (Köppen Cfa: Humid subtropical), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 28.4°C, while January is the coldest at 10.1°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1566mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Where does the climate data for Louisiana come from?
Climate data for Louisiana comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Louisiana climate data cover?
The Louisiana climate profile covers New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette and surrounding areas. Louisiana climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Louisiana climate update refreshed?
The Louisiana climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Louisiana climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Louisiana climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.