Does it snow in Louisiana?

Known as The Pelican State and by at least four other nicknames, Louisiana, the 31st largest state by area and the 25th most populous in the United States, stands as the southern state with the most significant cultural and ethnic diversity in the entire region and even from all over the country.

Beyond the considerable cultural diversity that Louisiana boasts, evident even in its name, established in honor of King Louis XIV of France, this state also has a remarkable geographic diversity.

Thus, no wonder that, while the southern half of Louisiana is full of lakes, swamps, and large plantations, the north possesses only prairies and farmland.

Visit Louisiana and enjoy more than 50 casinos scattered throughout the state, including the signature houseboat casinos of South Louisiana; discover the museums and old colonial settlements spread across major Louisiana cities like Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, and Natchitoches; or enjoy a quiet and relaxing vacation on the nearly seven miles of public beaches that Grand Isle has to offer.

Snow in Louisiana? ❄

Given its location, mainly due to its latitude, Louisiana exhibits a humid subtropical climate throughout its 52,069.13 sq mi land area.

While this type of climate is not strictly incompatible with snowfall, other geographic features of Louisiana, such as its low-lying topography and extreme proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, make it hard to get measurable snowfall in winter.

Despite the above, northern and southern Louisiana have managed to experience at least a dozen measurable snowfalls since its foundation, thanks to the onslaught of low-pressure cold fronts coming from the north of the U.S.

The climate of Louisiana ⛅

LOUISIANA WEATHER

As mentioned in the previous section, Louisiana exhibits a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) throughout its territory with relative uniformity.

The latter is due to its modest elevation range (between −8 feet and 500 feet high) and the enormous influence it receives from warm air currents reaching from the Gulf of Mexico.

In line with the previous point, rain and tropical downpours are frequent weather phenomena in Louisiana.

Indeed, its wet season extends from the beginning of spring to the final of summer (from April to October), although this does not mean there is no rainfall in autumn and winter; it's still raining, just with less intensity.

In this sense, Louisiana is a particularly stormy city, so it is not surprising that it is affected by tropical cyclones, electrical storms, hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes. Indeed, all Louisiana parishes are vulnerable to the onslaught of a tornado.

Technical characteristics 

Some of the following technical characteristics have been calculated by averaging climatological data for some parish seats of Louisiana (Farmerville, Lake Providence, Shreveport, Cameron, Hahnville, and Alexandria): 

• Climate types (Köppen climate classification): Humid subtropical (Cfa).
• Average maximum temperatures in winter: 63.13 °F (17.2 °C)
• Average maximum temperatures in spring: 82.89 °F (28.2 °C).
• Average maximum temperatures in fall: 73.58 °F (23.1 °C).
• Average maximum temperatures in summer: 90.44 °F (32.4 °C).
• Average minimum temperatures in winter: 45.50 °F (7.5 °C).
• Average minimum temperatures in spring: 65.56 °F (18.6 °C).
• Average minimum temperatures in fall: 55.21 °F (12.8 °C).
• Average minimum temperatures in summer: 73.4 °F (23 °C).
• Average annual rainfall: 54.37 inches (138 cm).
• Highest record temperature: 114 °F / 45.5 °C (August 10, 1936. Plain Dealing, Bossier Parish).
• Lowest record temperature: −16  °F / -26.6 °C (February 13, 1899. Minden, Webster Parish).
• Number of thunderstorms per year: 60.
• Number of tornadoes per year: 37.

When does it snow in Louisiana? 🌨

Does it snow in Louisiana in December?

Yes, it might snow in December. Although, even in the best of cases, snowfall will hardly exceed an inch of accumulation.

Does it snow in Louisiana in January?

Yes, it might snow in January. No wonder this is the snowiest and coldest month in Louisiana. While the accumulation of snowfalls is more significant than the previous month in the north of Louisiana, these continue to be barely measurable.

Does it snow in Louisiana in February?

Yes, it might snow in February. Precisely, the last recorded snowfall in the history of Louisiana took place during this month (February 15, 2021). This snowfall was strong enough to completely cover the streets of northern Louisiana, allowing locals to enjoy some unusual scenery in Louisiana.

Does it snow in Louisiana in March?

Yes, it might snow in March. Although hopefully, these last snowfalls only occur in the far north of Louisiana.

Where does it snow in Louisiana? 🌨

Below, we present a map of the territorial division of the state of Louisiana in which the distribution of snowfall in the sixty-four parish seats that make up the state is roughly exemplified:

1. In this case, the darker the blue color, the higher the average snow accumulation for the county in its snowiest month (January).
2. This map is not an exact definition but rather an approximation of the behavior of snowfall in Louisiana since only its parish seats and not all the cities and towns that make up the state at the time of its creation.

How much does it snow in Louisiana? 🌨

Next, we expose a comparison chart of the average snow accumulation throughout a sliding 31-day period (centered on the day in question) in the sixty-four parish seats of Louisiana:

The numbers shown in the table above represent inches.