The Hottest Summer Month in Louisiana Brings Extreme Temperatures to State

(Lafayette, Louisiana) - If you live in South Louisiana or anywhere in the Deep South, you know that the summer months can be brutal.

Often, we are under heat advisories throughout the summer, and sadly, we are often reporting on people who die or get very sick due to being exposed to the heat for too long.

The summer heat in Louisiana can be deadly, and it can also, at times, be depressing because you often find yourself seeking refuge indoors from the heat when you truly want to be outdoors.

Hottest Summer Month in Louisiana

Just a few days ago, the kids at my house wanted to play outdoors in the late afternoon, and I had to stop them because even at 6 p.m. it was still too hot to be outdoors. After I discouraged them from being outdoors, I looked up the hottest month in Louisiana, and the answer isn't shocking.

According to an article that I came across in the Shreveport Times, July is historically the hottest month of the year in Louisiana. August is hot too, which isn't Breaking News, and is closely behind July.

At the peak of summer, temperatures regularly exceed the 90-degree mark, and with the humidity in the South, the "feel-like" temperatures can spike from 105-110 degrees. So yes, July and August can be miserable without much rainfall. Hint: that's why I am fine with cooling showers in the forecast in July and August; they can really provide you, me, and our HVAC system with some relief when it is brutally hot out.

When Does it Cool Down After Summer?

Now, if you are like me, by mid-summer you are ready for cooler mornings and evenings so that you can enjoy the outdoors, but the cooler temperatures in Louisiana don't arrive just after August.

Unfortunately, we really don't feel a "cool down" here until mid-to-late October. Sure, we may no longer have days with temps in the 90s in October, but the much cooler days don't usually arrive until it is time to think about Halloween.

September was often viewed as the month when the summer temperatures started to dip, but I don't think that is so. If you have to wait for your kids in the car rider lines at school at the start of the new school year, you already know how hot it can be for the first few months once the kids are back in school.

Ways to Stay Cool During Summer

One way to stay cool during the brutal summer months in Louisiana is to stay inside, but if you are outdoors, remember to always apply cold compresses to your pressure points to help cool down.

Taking a cool shower in the middle of the day also helps your body cool down when it feels like you're going to fry outdoors, and remember to always stay hydrated.

When it comes to staying cool in your house, close all blinds to prevent direct sunlight from entering, and make sure that your ceiling fans are turning counterclockwise during the summer months so that they force cooler air to move downward.

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Oh, for the record, according to HotStuffworks, Louisiana is the second hottest state in the country during the summer, only behind the "Sunshine State" of Florida. And that is why we anxiously await the fall season once the kids return to school in early August.