Weather in New Orleans, Louisiana
If you’re thinking about visiting New Orleans, when you visit might be determined by the climate of the area at a particular time of year. Of if you have definite plans for a trip to The Big Easy, you may be wondering what it will be like when you arrive and how to best pack for the trip so that you can tour the city’s attractions in comfort.
The climate of New Orleans is considered humid subtropical. That means that the winters are generally mild and quite short and the summers are long and very hot. Average lows in the winter months, including at the Christmas holidays, are in the mid 40s while the highs are a comfortable 65 degrees or so. The spring brings lows in the 50s and highs in the mid to high 70s. The lovely fall months are very similar and are perfect for playing golf or other outdoor sports. The summer is for the truly hearty that don’t mind sweating a bit in the high temperatures. During July and August, for example, morning lows are in the mid to high 70s and highs stretch well into the 90s.
New Orleans enjoys a good deal of precipitation throughout the year. Most months, there is about 6 inches of rain for a total of some 64-70 inches a year. October is the driest month, making it an ideal time to visit if you plan on taking advantage of outdoor activities. June and July are the rainiest months but snow rarely falls in the city. The last recorded snowfall was in December 2008, when accumulation measured just less than 2 inches in most parts of the city. Needless to say, a “White Christmas” is a rarity.
The city of New Orleans has had quite a number of encounters with damaging hurricanes, which can occur anytime from May through October or November, so for those visiting during those months, the threat of a severe storm is very real. The most recent hurricane, of course, was Katrina, which hit the city in August 2005. It was one of the most damaging hurricanes even to score a direct hit on the city. New Orleans suffered the most severe loss of life when the levee system failed and 80 percent of the city flooded. Billions of dollars of damage occurred. Other hurricanes that hit the city include Grand Isle Hurricane (1909), New Orleans Hurricane (1915), Fort Lauderdale Hurricane (1947), Hurricane Flossy (1956), Hurricane Betsy (1965), Hurricane George (1998, Hurricane Rita (2005), and Hurricane Ike (2008).
Return to New Orleans Travel Guide Home Page