The 5 Coldest Places in Louisiana

Winters are magical in the United States. You can be located in the northeast and experience snowfall every day for weeks, or you can be living the time of your life in sunny Florida by the beach. Depending on where you live, winters will be different. But sometimes, even the warmest places experience some cold weather. States like Louisiana aren’t known for their cold temperatures, but there are places in the state where it’s colder. Let’s take a look at the five coldest places in Louisiana.

Shreveport

Shreveport, LA, is located in the northwestern area of the state. Historically, the northern part of Louisiana has been slightly colder than the Gulf of Mexico-adjacent southern region. But Shreveport takes the prize as the coldest place in Louisiana. On average, the winter months see temperature ranges of 47 to 51 degrees. Snowfall is rare and it has averaged less than an inch. Shreveport does experience a lot of rain, with a whopping 51 inches every year. When it comes to records, Shreveport got an astonishing -5 degrees on February 12, 1899. Luckily that was an anomaly, as Shreveport only experiences freezing temperatures infrequently, averaging only 35 days per year.

Minden

As Shreveport takes the first place trophy for coldest place in Louisiana, the town of Minden takes the first place prize for having the lowest recorded temperature in the entire state. Of course, Minden is only located 28 miles east of Shreveport, so it makes sense that the coldest recorded temperature would be located here. With a population of 11,000, it has an average temperature range of 46 to 49 degrees during winter. Its record low, however, came knocking on February 13, 1899, when temperatures plummeted to a shocking -16 degrees. The temperature drop was part of the Great Blizzard of 1899 (also known as the St. Valentine’s Day Blizzard) that affected many states like Tennessee, Louisiana, and Florida.

Ruston

With a population of just 22,000, the town of Ruston is located in northern Louisiana. As the northern part of the state has historically been colder, Ruston is one of the coldest places in the state. Founded in 1885, the average temperatures during the winter months vary from 46 to 49 degrees. The record low however was in January, which is also the coldest month of the year for Ruston. When it comes to precipitation, Ruston hardly experiences snowfall, but it does experience a lot of rainfall, with an average of 55 inches per year.

Monroe

The eighth-largest city in Louisiana with a population of 47,000, Monroe is famous for several things. It’s famous for being named after the steamboat James Monroe, for being the site where Coca-Cola was first bottled, but also for being one of the coldest places in Louisiana. The city experiences an average of 46 to 50 degrees during the winter months, with January being the coldest month. However, the city experienced a cold when the temperature dropped to -2 degrees on February 2, 1951. Although the city may not experience a lot of snowfall, there are a lot of thunderstorms in Monroe. The average rainfall in the city is 55 inches per year.

Opelousas

The only city not located in northern Louisiana, Opelousas is right smack in the center of the state. It has a population of 15,000 and it is the parish seat of St. Landry Parish. Opelousas may not be cold all the time, but it is colder than most places throughout the state. It also has seen snow a few times in history. On average, winters can range from 51 to 55 degrees, with January being the coldest month of the year. Although snow is rare, it has experienced it, most recently in 2008 when it saw 6 inches. However, when it comes to rain, it definitely pours in Opelousas with an annual average of 54 inches.

Conclusion

And there you have it, these are the six coldest places in Louisiana. For those living in North Dakota, you may think these temperatures aren’t so bad. But Floridians and Californians may disagree and may want a jacket while they’re out and about. Temperatures aren’t the freezing kind, but they are certainly cold in Louisiana. If you are visiting these cold places in the state, it’s always a smart idea to bring a jacket. You never know what may happen in the Pelican State.

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