New Orleans (LA) monthly weather averages

What's the weather like in New Orleans?

New Orleans has a humid subtropical climate, which is characterized by hot, humid summers and mild winters. The climate is heavily influenced by the Gulf of Mexico, which moderates temperatures and provides plenty of moisture. Summers temperatures average around the mid-80s Fahrenheit (30s Celsius) and occasional heat waves produce temperatures well into the 90s Fahrenheit (mid-30s Celsius). Winters are mild, with temperatures usually remaining above freezing and rarely dipping below 50°F (10°C). Snowfall is rare occurence.

Rainfall however is abundant throughout the year, with an average of about 61 inches (155 cm) annually. The wettest months are usually April through June, while October to December tend to be the driest months.

New Orleans also experiences occasional tropical storms and hurricanes, which can bring strong winds, heavy rain and flooding. The hurricane season typically runs from June through November.

Average daytime temperature

The bar chart below shows the average monthly peak daytime temperatures at New Orleans

New Orleans average temperature chart (Celsius) New Orleans average temperature chart (Fahrenheit)
Average monthly temperatures in New Orleans (degrees centigrade and fahrenheit)
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
°C 15.9 17.7 21.7 25.5 28.9 31.7 32.5 32.3 30.3 26.2 21.5 17.8
°F 60.6 63.8 71 77.9 84 89.1 90.5 90.2 86.6 79.2 70.7 64.1

Please note: these are the average peak daytime temperatures (usually around mid-afternoon) so do not show daytime / night highs and lows. To see the daily range of temperatures have a look at the temperature max / min chart below.

Average rainfall & rainy days

The graph below shows the average rainfall and number of rainy days per month.

New Orleans monthly rainfall chart (mm) New Orleans monthly rainfall chart (inches)
Average monthly rainfall in New Orleans (mm and inches)
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
mm 128 134 125 127 122 142 174 163 147 73 106 128
inches 5 5.3 4.9 5 4.8 5.6 6.9 6.4 5.8 2.9 4.2 5.1
Rainy days 10 9 9 7 8 11 14 14 10 6 8 10

Average annual rainfall in New Orleans: 1510.234mm (594.6 inches)

Average daily sunshine

The bar chart below shows the average daily sunshine hours in New Orleans

New Orleans average daily sunshine chart
Average daily sunshine New Orleans
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Hrs sunshine 5.6 6.5 7.7 9.2 9.6 9.6 8.8 8.6 8.1 8.4 6.5 5.8

Day / night temperatures

The graph below shows the daily range of temperatures for each month.

New Orleans average minimum / maximum temperatures (Celsius) New Orleans average minimum / maximum temperatures (Fahrenheit)
Maximum and minimum daily temperatures in New Orleans (degrees centigrade and fahrenheit)
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Min °C 6.3 7.9 11.7 15.7 19.3 22.5 23.5 23.5 21.7 15.9 11.7 8.2
Max °C 16.2 17.9 21.9 25.8 29.1 32 32.7 32.6 30.6 26.5 21.8 18.1
Min °F 43.3 46.2 53.1 60.2 66.7 72.4 74.3 74.2 71 60.6 53 46.7
Max °F 52.2 55.2 62.2 69.3 75.6 81 82.6 82.4 79 70.2 62.1 55.6

Sea temperature

The graph below shows the average sea temperature.

New Orleans average sea temperature chart (Celsius) New Orleans average sea temperature chart (Fahrenheit)
Average sea temperature around New Orleans in degrees centigrade and fahrenheit
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
°C 18.1 17.8 19 21.6 25.1 28.3 29.6 29.8 28.6 25.6 22.4 20
°F 64.6 64 66.2 70.9 77.2 83 85.4 85.7 83.5 78.1 72.3 68

Wind speed

The graph below shows the average wind speed.

New Orleans average winspeed by month (km/h) New Orleans average winspeed by month (mph)
Average wind speed in New Orleans (mph and kmh)
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
km/h 16 17 17 16 14 12 10 10 12 12 14 15
mph 10 10 10 10 9 7 6 6 7 8 9 9

A monthly average windspeed of over 16km/h or 10mph suggests a location is fairly windy.

Relative humidity

The graph below shows the average relative humidity.

New Orleans relative humidity averages
Average relative humidity in New Orleans
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
76% 73% 73% 73% 74% 76% 79% 79% 78% 75% 77% 77%
New Orleans

Other monthly averages

UV index Best time to go?

New Orleans weather stats

New Orleans weather statistics
Hottest month: July 32.5°C 90.5°F
Driest month: October 73mm 2.9ins
Sunniest month: October 8.4hrs
Coldest month: January 15.9°C 60.6°F
Wettest month: July 174mm 6.9ins
Warmest sea: August 29.8°C 85.6°F
Map showing location of New Orleans (29.95465, -90.07507) New Orleans map pin © Google

Locations nearby

Top United States locations