Heat stress in Baton Rouge
Deep-South heat and humidity combine for oppressive, high-WBGT summer days.
Reduce exertion and hydrate frequently. Take regular shade breaks.
Wet-bulb globe temperature via the Liljegren (2008) method. This page is cached and refreshes in the background, so the live badge below can be a few minutes ahead of it.
View Baton Rouge on the live mapReading heat stress in Baton Rouge
Wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is the heat measure that actually tracks danger to the body. Unlike the plain air temperature on your phone, it folds in humidity, wind, and direct sun: the factors that decide whether your sweat can still cool you. It’s the standard the military, athletic associations, and occupational-safety bodies use to call when outdoor activity is no longer safe.
That matters in Baton Rouge because deep-South heat and humidity combine for oppressive, high-WBGT summer days. The number above is the live outdoor WBGT for the city right now; tap through to the live map to inspect any neighborhood, scrub the forecast hour by hour, and see the 7-day outlook.
How hot Baton Rouge usually gets
Across 2015–2024, Baton Rouge averaged a 89°F daily high in summer: 54th hottest of the 174 metros we track, and August is typically the warmest month.
Most of the heat here sits below the extremes: around 51 days a year top 90°F, and only about 2 reach 100°F.
Humidity is the real story: summer averages about 79%, so sweat evaporates poorly and heat stress runs well above what a 89°F afternoon suggests.
A bad day runs well past a normal one, with 104°F recorded against a 89°F summer average.
Daily high temperatures and humidity from ERA5 reanalysis, 2015–2024 (hottest day in the sample: 2023-08-27). These are climate averages for context: the reading at the top of this page is the live one.
For school sports, see our Louisiana heat policy page.
Heat in Baton Rouge: common questions
How hot does it usually get in Baton Rouge?
Across 2015–2024, Baton Rouge averaged a 89°F daily high through summer, with about 51 days a year at or above 90°F and 2 at or above 100°F. August is typically the hottest month, and the hottest day in that sample reached 104°F. Figures are from ERA5 daily reanalysis.
When is the hottest time of year in Baton Rouge?
August has the highest average daily high in Baton Rouge. Humidity is the real story here: summer averages about 79%, so sweat evaporates poorly and heat stress runs well above what the temperature alone suggests. Use the forecast on this page to plan around the specific days that matter.
What is the WBGT in Baton Rouge right now?
The reading at the top of this page is the current wet-bulb globe temperature for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, computed from live weather by the Liljegren (2008) method and labeled with how recently it updated. For an exact reading at your own neighborhood, plus an hour-by-hour forecast, open the live map.
Why is WBGT more useful than the temperature for Baton Rouge?
Air temperature ignores humidity, wind, and sun: the things that decide whether heat is dangerous. Baton Rouge's climate (deep-South heat and humidity combine for oppressive, high-WBGT summer days.) is exactly why a single "feels-like" or thermometer reading can understate the real risk. WBGT captures all of it in one number.
When is heat most dangerous in Baton Rouge?
August is the peak month in Baton Rouge, and within a day heat stress is highest in the early-to-mid afternoon when sun load is greatest. About 51 days a year reach 90°F, so most of the risk sits in a handful of afternoons rather than across the whole season. Use the forecast on this page to find the window that works.
Put Baton Rouge’s live heat stress on your site
A self-updating WBGT badge for schools, teams, camps, and local sites: it always shows the current reading and links back here.
<iframe src="https://wetbulbtracker.com/embed/baton-rouge-la" width="340" height="150" style="border:0" title="Live WBGT: Baton Rouge, LA" loading="lazy"></iframe>Paste it into any website. The badge updates itself and links back here. Add ?theme=light for light sites.