Best Time to Visit New Orleans
New Orleans has a subtropical climate: temperatures swing from mild winters around 8–17°C to hot, humid summers near 33°C. What changes through the year is the humidity, the risk of afternoon thunderstorms and hurricanes between 1 June and 30 November, and the price of a hotel room — especially around Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. Here's when to go — and when to think twice.
Hurricane season is winding down, temperatures ease into the 20s, hotel prices sit below the spring peaks, and the crowds are among the thinnest of the year before Thanksgiving week.
The rain has eased, warm and pleasant weather settles in, and the French Quarter Festival and Jazz Fest bring the city to life — expect higher prices and bigger crowds during those festival weeks.
The holidays and New Year's Eve draw the biggest crowds and the highest hotel prices of the season, on top of the coolest, dampest stretch of the year; the peak of hurricane season in August–September is the other period to plan around.
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8 to 17°C | Medium | Medium | Mild with occasional cold snaps, quieter after New Year, good hotel rates before Mardi Gras season builds |
| February | 9 to 19°C | High | High | Mardi Gras season is mobile and can fall in February or March — check the year's date; when it does, crowds and prices spike across the city |
| March | 12 to 22°C | High | High | Often still within Mardi Gras season some years, spring break adds crowds, the rain starts to ease |
| April | 15 to 25°C | High | High | One of the most pleasant months, French Quarter Festival in mid-April, Jazz Fest crowds building toward the end of the month |
| May | 19 to 28°C | High | High | Jazz Fest runs into early May, warm and increasingly humid, crowds easing after the festival weekends |
| June | 23 to 31°C | Medium | Medium | Hot and humid, hurricane season opens on 1 June, afternoon thunderstorms become frequent |
| July | 24 to 33°C | Medium | Medium | The hottest, most humid stretch of summer, daily afternoon storms, indoor attractions and river cruises offer relief |
| August | 24 to 33°C | Low | Low | Sweltering and humid, hurricane season approaching its statistical peak, some of the lowest hotel prices of the year |
| September | 23 to 31°C | Low | Low | Hurricane season at its peak, still hot and humid, the quietest month for crowds |
| October | 19 to 28°C | Medium | Medium | Hurricane risk easing after mid-month, warm and increasingly pleasant, Halloween in the French Quarter draws crowds late in the month |
| November | 13 to 22°C | Medium | Medium | Hurricane season ends on 30 November, cooling and comfortable, Thanksgiving week is busy and pricier, otherwise quiet |
| December | 9 to 18°C | High | High | Cool and occasionally damp, holiday lights and festivities through the city, the final two weeks around Christmas and New Year's Eve are the busiest and most expensive of the year |