The best time to visit New Orleans, if you ask most of us who live here, is spring: March and April bring good weather and the biggest stretch of festivals of the year, with crawfish on every table. Fall is a close second once the heat finally breaks. The worst time is late summer, when the heat and the start of peak hurricane season show up together.
That's the short answer. The long answer is below, because every month here has its own personality, and a few of the "bad" ones have real fans.
We've spent twenty years behind the counter on Magazine Street and Chartres Street, watching what visitors look like when they walk in the door each month. It's a decent weather report. In April they look happy. In August they look like they've been through something.
Here's our ranking, from best to worst. Your mileage will vary, and we'll say so where it does.
1. April
Pleasant days, cool-ish nights, and two of the city's best festivals. French Quarter Fest is free and runs April 8 to 11 in 2027, according to French Quarter Festivals, Inc. Jazz Fest follows at the Fair Grounds, April 22 to 25 and April 29 to May 2, per the festival FAQ.
The catch: everybody else knows this too. Book your room early, and expect to pay more on festival weekends.
2. March
Our sleeper pick. Carnival is usually over, the azaleas are out, crawfish season is rolling, and the crowds are thinner than April. Super Sunday brings the Black Masking Indians into the streets around St. Joseph's Day. We wrote about Super Sunday if you want to understand what you're seeing.
Spring weather can swing, so pack a layer.
3. November
The first real cold front usually comes through in the fall, and suddenly the whole city is on a porch. November is cooler, the hurricane season ends on November 30 (per the National Hurricane Center), and the restaurants are back in full form. Saints games give Sundays a soundtrack. If you need tips on dressing for one, we wrote what to wear to a Saints game.
4. October
October can feel like November or like August, depending on the year. When it's good, it's great: festival weekends outdoors, then Halloween, which a lot of locals treat like a second Carnival. When it's not, you're still dealing with tropical weather. The Atlantic season doesn't officially wind down until the end of November.
5. February
This is where rankings get personal. If February includes Mardi Gras (it does in 2027: Fat Tuesday is February 9), you'll get the greatest free show on earth and the most expensive hotel rooms of the year in the same week. If you love costumes and standing on a curb for six hours, move this to number one. If you don't, come a week after Ash Wednesday instead.
Start with our guide on what to do during Mardi Gras.
6. May
Late spring is still lovely, especially early in the month while Jazz Fest is wrapping up. The neighborhood festivals pick up after that. By Memorial Day, the humidity has moved in and isn't planning to leave.
7. December
Underrated. The city decorates, the restaurants run réveillon menus, and the crowds are light until the holidays. It's cool and sometimes gray. You'll want a jacket at night, which surprises people.
8. January
Quiet, cheap-ish, and cold by our standards, which means "wear a sweater." The upside: Carnival season starts January 6, so you get king cake and the first parades without the Mardi Gras rush.
9. June
The heat arrives for real. So do afternoon thunderstorms, which can turn streets into canals for an hour. On the plus side, June is cheaper than spring, and the snowball stands are going full tilt. Our snowball stand guide will help.
10. July
Hot. Essence Fest typically takes over downtown around the Fourth, so hotels near the Superdome fill up that week. Otherwise, it's long lunches in air-conditioned rooms and a lot of sweating in between. We wrote a whole post on humidity, the city's most brutal unifier.
11. September
Here's the honest part. According to the National Hurricane Center, the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is September 10, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October. September is also still hot. Hotel deals can be real, but if you book, get travel insurance and keep an eye on the tropics.
If you're here when a storm is in the Gulf, follow NOLA Ready and read our hurricane prep guide.
12. August
Dead last, and we say that with love. It's the hottest, stickiest stretch of the year, and the start of peak hurricane season. Plenty of locals who can get out of town for a week, do.
And yet. August has White Linen Night and Satchmo SummerFest, plus a month of COOLinary restaurant deals. If you're the kind of person who likes a city when it's quiet and a little delirious, August might be your month. There's a reason our Died of Humidity tank exists.
What to Pack, Season by Season
Spring: a light jacket for nights and a rain layer for everything else. Summer: as little as is legal, plus shoes you can wade in. Fall: something for a cold front that may or may not show up. Winter: a real coat, because 45 degrees with this humidity feels colder than you think.
If you're coming for crawfish season, show up in Union, Justice, Crawfish. And if you can't decide when to come, our Nola Seasons Enamel Pin makes the case that every season is a good one. We're not sure we believe the pin about August.
Best Time to Visit New Orleans: FAQ
What is the best month to visit New Orleans?
April, for most people. You get mild weather, crawfish season, French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest. March and November are strong alternatives with smaller crowds.
What is the cheapest time to visit New Orleans?
In our experience, late summer, especially August and September, is when hotel deals are easiest to find, because the heat and hurricane season keep visitors away. January and early December can also be good values outside of holiday weeks.
When is hurricane season in New Orleans?
Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, according to the National Hurricane Center, with peak activity from mid-August to mid-October.
Leave a comment
All comments are moderated before being published.
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.