When to expect New Orleans' first freeze
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It's feeling more like pumpkin spice weather in New Orleans, but it will still be several weeks before we'll likely get our first freeze.
The big picture: New Orleans' average first freeze is Dec. 22, nonprofit climate research group Climate Central says.
- That's the average first day temperatures hit 32°F or below between 1991 and 2020.
Zoom out: First freeze is slightly different from "first frost," which is related not just to temperature, but also to the amount of moisture in the air.
- Dec. 7 is the median date of the first frost in New Orleans, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center. That's when we could see a light icy coating on grass, windshields and roofs.
The intrigue: Fall is getting warmer in southeast Louisiana and the rest of the country, a new analysis finds.
- Fall temperatures rose 2.3°F on average in Orleans Parish in a new Climate Central report looking at data between 1970 and 2023. They rose 2.5°F on average across 234 U.S. locations.
- The analysis is based on average temperatures between September and November of each year.
- Above-normal temperatures are expected across much of the country this fall, per NOAA's seasonal outlook.
Between the lines: The fall trends are consistent with climate science findings showing how the planet is responding to human-caused increases in greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide.
- All other seasons are also warming.
