BATON ROUGE – 2023 has finally come to a close, and it goes down as the hottest year on record dating back to 1893. The average temperature for the year was 72.5°, half a degree more than the previous record value from 1921.

The extreme heat from the summer certainly nudged this value upward. While 72.5° might not seem that warm, these averages include all high and low temperatures from all seasons - from January to December.

Every month recorded above-normal temperatures in 2023. The hottest months were July and August, with an average temperature of 87.8° and 90.1° respectively. Read more about the record-setting summer of heat HERE.

Meanwhile, the intense summer heat and a lack of rainfall also helped lead to an exceptional drought. According to State Climatologist Dr. Barry Keim, the sun effectively blasted the region over the summer, leading to “a flash drought, where drought conditions intensified very rapidly.” Read more about the regional effects of the 2023 drought HERE.

January, April, and December were the only months where above normal rainfall was observed in the capital region. Every other month was drier than average.

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