New Orleans climate
New Orleans (Louisiana, United States) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 21 °C70 °F, and about 1,534 mm60 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
New Orleans climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1560 | 847 | 1254 | 983.9 | 1 |
| Feb | 1864 | 1051 | 1457 | 1074.2 | 0 |
| Mar | 2169 | 1457 | 1763 | 1044.1 | 0 |
| Apr | 2476 | 1864 | 2170 | 1285.0 | 0 |
| May | 2882 | 2272 | 2577 | 1194.7 | 0 |
| Jun | 3086 | 2678 | 2882 | 1766.9 | 0 |
| Jul | 3187 | 2679 | 2983 | 1736.8 | 0 |
| Aug | 3187 | 2680 | 2983 | 1907.5 | 0 |
| Sep | 2985 | 2476 | 2780 | 1295.1 | 0 |
| Oct | 2578 | 1966 | 2272 | 1054.1 | 0 |
| Nov | 2169 | 1456 | 1763 | 763.0 | 0 |
| Dec | 1762 | 1050 | 1456 | 1285.1 | 0 |
| Year | 3187 | 847 | 2170 | 1,53460 | 1 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 81% | 56% | 3.0 | 10:25 |
| Feb | 82% | 58% | 3.6 | 11:05 |
| Mar | 80% | 52% | 4.9 | 11:55 |
| Apr | 79% | 49% | 5.8 | 12:52 |
| May | 76% | 44% | 6.5 | 13:39 |
| Jun | 76% | 50% | 6.1 | 14:04 |
| Jul | 77% | 58% | 5.6 | 13:54 |
| Aug | 78% | 56% | 5.4 | 13:13 |
| Sep | 78% | 46% | 5.1 | 12:18 |
| Oct | 78% | 37% | 4.5 | 11:23 |
| Nov | 79% | 42% | 3.5 | 10:36 |
| Dec | 82% | 58% | 2.7 | 10:14 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of New Orleans is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 31 °C87 °F and a low of 26 °C80 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 15 °C60 °F and lows 8 °C47 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 16.6 °C29.8 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,534 mm60 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 35% of the annual total. The wettest month is August (190 mm7.5 in), the driest is November (76 mm3.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 76% in June to 82% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 37%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (6 mph) in July to 13 km/h (8 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 10.2 hours in December to 14.1 hours in June.
Best time to visit New Orleans
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November: average highs of 21 °C69 °F to 21 °C69 °F with 76 mm3.0 in to 76 mm3.0 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is August, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C87 °F, very wet (190 mm7.5 in) and humid (78% relative humidity).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for New Orleans
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1560 to 18 °C64 °F, lows 847 to 10 °C51 °F, about 111 mm4.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 2169 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 1457 to 22 °C72 °F, about 117 mm4.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3086 to 31 °C87 °F, lows around 26 °C78 °F, about 180 mm7.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2169 to 29 °C85 °F, lows 1456 to 24 °C76 °F, about 103 mm4.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How New Orleans compares
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, New Orleans is the 19th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 4th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Putian (China, Cfa), Quanzhou (China, Cfa) and Sanming (China, Cfa).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Metairie (pop. 138,481). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for New Orleans, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Baton Rouge 120 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,561 mm61 in
- Lafayette 189 km · 20 °C69 °F · 1,583 mm62 in
- Mobile 212 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,590 mm63 in
- Jackson 261 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,457 mm57 in
- Beaumont 388 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,509 mm59 in
- Tuscaloosa 433 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,415 mm56 in
- Montgomery 448 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,348 mm53 in
- Shreveport 451 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,275 mm50 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in New Orleans?
August is the warmest month in New Orleans, with an average high of 31 °C (87 °F) and an average low of 26 °C (80 °F).
What is the coldest month in New Orleans?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 15 °C (60 °F) and an average low of 8 °C (47 °F).
When does it rain the most in New Orleans?
August is the wettest month with about 190 mm (7.5 in) of precipitation; November is the driest with about 76 mm (3.0 in).
What is the best time to visit New Orleans?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are November.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.