Louisiana Climate
Top 5 Cities: New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette, and Lake Charles
This month in numbers
Louisiana experienced its 3rd warmest March on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 19°C, a significant 4.2°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Even more strikingly, the maximum temperature for March 2026 reached 25.44°C, ranking as the 1st highest on record for the state. This warmth extended into the broader January–March period, which was the 6th warmest on record, with maximum temperatures ranking 5th highest for the same period. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, indicating a widespread warming trend.
What changed
The first three months of 2026 saw Louisiana's average temperature at 14.52°C, an anomaly of +3.3°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This places the region within a broader pattern of warmth across the United States, as 10 of the top 10 warmest regions for the latest month's anomaly were US states. Louisiana itself ranked 29th out of 234 regions globally for its 1-month temperature anomaly. The state also experienced significantly drier conditions, with January–March precipitation ranking 71st lowest on record.
What’s driving change?
The pronounced warmth in Louisiana this past month and season can be attributed to several factors. The state is currently experiencing a Neutral ENSO phase, with a forecast indicating a likely transition to El Niño in the coming months, which typically brings warmer conditions to the region. Additionally, a strong, slow-moving high-pressure system, often referred to as a heat dome, contributed to the unusually high temperatures across the western and southern US in March. Louisiana has also been grappling with ongoing drought conditions, with nearly 79% of the state in drought as of late March, and 10% abnormally dry. This dry soil amplification further exacerbates warming. The dry conditions have also contributed to an unusual concentration of wildfires, with two drought events and one flood event logged for Louisiana in the past 12 months, representing 100% of the annual total for each type of event. For more details on extreme weather events, visit Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The forecast for the coming months suggests a likely transition to an El Niño phase by May–July, with an 87% probability of El Niño by July–September, which could influence future temperature and precipitation patterns for the region.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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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.
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 trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
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.