Best Time To Visit New Orleans
A month-by-month guide to weather, crowds, and travel conditions in New Orleans, USA.
About New Orleans
New Orleans is America's most foreign city: the French Quarter's iron-lace balconies, live jazz spilling from Frenchmen Street's clubs, beignets at Café du Monde, creole cuisine at two centuries deep, and cemetery-and-voodoo history unlike anywhere else. Eat, listen, wander, repeat.
Monthly weather guide
The table below shows general climate patterns derived from New Orleans's latitude and climate zone. These are not real-time forecasts — for current conditions, use the AI planner which pulls live data from Open-Meteo.
| Month | Temperature | Precipitation | Notes | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Cool | Low | Cool and relatively dry. | Good |
| February | Cool | Low | Cool and relatively dry. | Good |
| March | Mild | Moderate | Pleasant shoulder season — great for sightseeing. | Best |
| April | Mild | Moderate | Pleasant shoulder season — great for sightseeing. | Best |
| May | Mild | Moderate | Pleasant shoulder season — great for sightseeing. | Best |
| June | Hot | High | Hot and humid with occasional rain. | Avoid |
| July | Hot | High | Hot and humid with occasional rain. | Avoid |
| August | Hot | High | Hot and humid with occasional rain. | Avoid |
| September | Mild | Moderate | Pleasant shoulder season — great for sightseeing. | Best |
| October | Mild | Moderate | Pleasant shoulder season — great for sightseeing. | Best |
| November | Mild | Moderate | Pleasant shoulder season — great for sightseeing. | Best |
| December | Cool | Low | Cool and relatively dry. | Good |
Best months to visit
February to May is festival season (Mardi Gras through Jazz Fest) with mild weather. Summer is hot, humid and hurricane-aware; winter is mild and cheaper.
Current live conditions: Warm and humid — shaded squares and cold drinks.
Shoulder season (also good)
Shoulder months offer fewer crowds and lower prices while weather remains acceptable.
Months to avoid
These months typically bring challenging weather (extreme heat, heavy rain, or cold). If you must travel during this period, plan indoor activities and check forecasts closer to your date.
Popular trips in New Orleans
Plan your trip to New Orleans
Get a personalized itinerary with live weather forecasts and budget estimates.
Plan a trip to New Orleans →