Lafayette climate
Lafayette (Louisiana, United States) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 20 °C69 °F, and about 1,583 mm62 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Lafayette climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1660 | 643 | 1151 | 1224.8 | 4 |
| Feb | 1864 | 847 | 1355 | 1024.0 | 2 |
| Mar | 2170 | 1253 | 1762 | 933.6 | 0 |
| Apr | 2577 | 1660 | 2069 | 1154.5 | 0 |
| May | 2883 | 2068 | 2476 | 1275.0 | 0 |
| Jun | 3188 | 2475 | 2781 | 1777.0 | 0 |
| Jul | 3188 | 2577 | 2882 | 1746.8 | 0 |
| Aug | 3188 | 2576 | 2882 | 1877.3 | 0 |
| Sep | 3086 | 2272 | 2679 | 1405.5 | 0 |
| Oct | 2679 | 1662 | 2170 | 1254.9 | 0 |
| Nov | 2170 | 1151 | 1661 | 963.8 | 0 |
| Dec | 1763 | 745 | 1254 | 1254.9 | 2 |
| Year | 3188 | 643 | 2069 | 1,58362 | 8 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84% | 58% | 2.9 | 10:24 |
| Feb | 85% | 64% | 3.3 | 11:05 |
| Mar | 83% | 59% | 4.5 | 11:55 |
| Apr | 80% | 54% | 5.6 | 12:52 |
| May | 78% | 50% | 6.1 | 13:40 |
| Jun | 77% | 50% | 6.1 | 14:05 |
| Jul | 79% | 55% | 5.9 | 13:55 |
| Aug | 79% | 53% | 5.6 | 13:14 |
| Sep | 80% | 45% | 5.1 | 12:18 |
| Oct | 78% | 38% | 4.4 | 11:23 |
| Nov | 80% | 46% | 3.4 | 10:35 |
| Dec | 84% | 58% | 2.6 | 10:12 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Lafayette is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 31 °C88 °F and a low of 25 °C76 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 16 °C60 °F and lows 6 °C43 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 17.3 °C31.1 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,583 mm62 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 34% of the annual total. The wettest month is August (187 mm7.3 in), the driest is March (93 mm3.6 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 77% in June to 85% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 38%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (5 mph) in July to 13 km/h (8 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 10.2 hours in December to 14.1 hours in June.
Best time to visit Lafayette
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March and November: average highs of 21 °C70 °F to 21 °C70 °F with 93 mm3.6 in to 96 mm3.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is August, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C88 °F, very wet (187 mm7.3 in) and humid (79% relative humidity).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Lafayette
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1660 to 18 °C64 °F, lows 643 to 8 °C47 °F, about 117 mm4.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 2170 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 1253 to 20 °C68 °F, about 112 mm4.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs around 31 °C88 °F, lows 2475 to 25 °C77 °F, about 179 mm7.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2170 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 1151 to 22 °C72 °F, about 120 mm4.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Lafayette compares
Compared with Baton Rouge, about 84 km to the east, Lafayette is on average 0.5 °C0.9 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in December (1 °C1.8 °F warmer).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Lafayette is the 30th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 2nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Ningde (China, Cfa), Lecheng (China, Cfa) and Fuan (China, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Baton Rouge 84 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,561 mm61 in
- New Orleans 189 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,534 mm60 in
- Beaumont 201 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,509 mm59 in
- Jackson 289 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,457 mm57 in
- Shreveport 304 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,275 mm50 in
- Pasadena 313 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,466 mm58 in
- Houston 326 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,247 mm49 in
- Mobile 385 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,590 mm63 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Lafayette?
August is the warmest month in Lafayette, with an average high of 31 °C (88 °F) and an average low of 25 °C (76 °F).
What is the coldest month in Lafayette?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 16 °C (60 °F) and an average low of 6 °C (43 °F).
When does it rain the most in Lafayette?
August is the wettest month with about 187 mm (7.3 in) of precipitation; March is the driest with about 93 mm (3.6 in).
What is the best time to visit Lafayette?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March and November.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.