Live forecast for New Orleans, LA — updated in real time. Check today's temperature, UV index, hourly breakdown, and 14-day outlook.
New Orleans has one of the hottest, most humid climates of any major American city, and a geography that makes weather a matter of survival. Wrapped by the Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain, and Gulf wetlands — with much of the city sitting below sea level — it is acutely exposed to heavy rain, flooding, and the hurricanes that define its history.
Summers are long and oppressive, with highs in the low 90s°F (around 33°C) and humidity so thick the heat index routinely exceeds 105°F (41°C). Near-daily afternoon thunderstorms bring torrential rain, and the city's pumps work constantly to keep the streets from flooding.
No weather threat looms larger than the hurricane. Hurricane Katrina in 2005, whose storm surge overwhelmed the levees, remains the defining disaster in the city's modern memory. From June through November, New Orleans watches the Gulf intently, knowing its below-sea-level bowl leaves no margin for error.
The city is genuinely wet, receiving about 62 inches (1,570 mm) of rain a year. Winters are short and mild, with highs in the low 60s°F (around 17°C) — pleasant weather that fills the streets during Mardi Gras season.
New Orleans is one of the hottest, most humid major cities in the US, with a long subtropical summer running May through October. Daily afternoon thunderstorms are so reliable locals set their schedules by them, and the flat, low-lying delta drains slowly.
Hurricane season is the defining risk: much of the city sits below sea level behind levees, so storm surge — not just wind — is the danger, as Katrina made brutally clear in 2005. Winters are mild and brief, with the occasional cold snap that can bring a rare, city-halting dusting of snow.
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