Climate Comfort Score
80/100
Excellent
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 71°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
New Orleans, LA Climate
Average temperature, precipitation, and a comfort score, drawn from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →
- 71°F
- Avg annual temp
- 80/100
- Comfort score
- 63.4"
- Annual precip
- 335d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana averages 71°F a year and scores 80/100 on the comfort index - excellent, milder than 82% of U.S. cities.
- 71°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 80/100
- comfort score, milder than 82% of U.S. cities
- 63.4"
- yearly precipitation total
- 335 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
71°F (21°C)
Avg High
79°F
Avg Low
63°F
Annual Precip
63.4"
Annual Snow
0.0"
Comfort Score
80/100
Excellent
Avg Annual Temperature
71°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
63.4"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (New Orleans) 80.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Excellent for the New Orleans area.
How New Orleans compares to every U.S. city
New Orleans's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
80 Top 18% higher than 82% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for New Orleans
MethodologyThe chart below traces how the U.S. land temperature anomaly has moved against the global mean since 1900. For New Orleans, the NOAA 1991-2020 normal captures average conditions across that spread - notably, the most recent decade runs warmer than the 30-year mean itself.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63°F (17°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 5.2" | 0.0" | 2.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 66°F (19°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 4.1" | 0.0" | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| March | 72°F (22°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 4.4" | 0.0" | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| April | 79°F (26°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 5.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| May | 85°F (30°C) | 69°F (21°C) | 77°F (25°C) | 5.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 5.9 |
| June | 90°F (32°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 82°F (28°C) | 7.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 18.4 |
| July | 91°F (33°C) | 77°F (25°C) | 84°F (29°C) | 6.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 22.9 |
| August | 91°F (33°C) | 77°F (25°C) | 84°F (29°C) | 6.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 23.0 |
| September | 88°F (31°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 81°F (27°C) | 5.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 12.8 |
| October | 81°F (27°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 3.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| November | 71°F (22°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 3.9" | 0.0" | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| December | 65°F (18°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 4.8" | 0.0" | 1.0 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 5.2"
9.5 days with precipitation
February 4.1"
9.0 days with precipitation
March 4.4"
8.1 days with precipitation
April 5.2"
7.3 days with precipitation
May 5.6"
7.8 days with precipitation
June 7.6"
12.7 days with precipitation
July 6.8"
13.9 days with precipitation
August 6.9"
13.6 days with precipitation
September 5.1"
9.8 days with precipitation
October 3.7"
7.1 days with precipitation
November 3.9"
7.1 days with precipitation
December 4.8"
9.2 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
December 31
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
January 30
50% probability date
Growing Season
335 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
1,176
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
3,206
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
August
Coldest Month
January
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 71% | 9.1 | 23% | 36% |
| February | 70% | 9.5 | 20% | 33% |
| March | 72% | 9.3 | 22% | 27% |
| April | 70% | 9.1 | 21% | 18% |
| May | 74% | 7.1 | 21% | 12% |
| June | 75% | 6.1 | 19% | 15% |
| July | 75% | 5.8 | 14% | 12% |
| August | 75% | 6.6 | 20% | 14% |
| September | 70% | 8.0 | 29% | 15% |
| October | 71% | 8.0 | 32% | 17% |
| November | 73% | 8.3 | 29% | 24% |
| December | 73% | 9.1 | 23% | 34% |
What New Orleans's climate means for you
New Orleans runs 71°F a year - peaking in August, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 335 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near January 30 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 1,176 heating and 3,206 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: New Orleans, LA
Based on station USW00012916 feeding NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals, New Orleans, Louisiana averages 71°F a year, ranging from a mean daily high of 79°F to a mean daily low of 63°F. August is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. Because these figures are thirty-year averages rather than any single year's readings, they describe the typical month, not a forecast for it.
New Orleans averages 63.4 inches of precipitation a year, with negligible snowfall, and that matters as much to daily life here as temperature does. The frost-free season averages 335 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near January 30 and the first fall freeze near December 31. As for energy demand, 1,176 heating degree days and 3,206 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, New Orleans scores 80/100 (Excellent), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. The monthly tables above are the practical planning tool: mild highs and lows land in the shoulder seasons, August-driven heat peaks in summer, and January-driven cold sets in over deep winter. These are thirty-year averages, not a forecast - any single year can run warmer, wetter, drier, or cooler than the normal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in New Orleans, LA? ▼
The average annual temperature in New Orleans, Louisiana is 71°F. The warmest month averages 91°F (33°C) and the coldest averages 46°F (8°C).
How much rain does New Orleans get? ▼
New Orleans receives 63.4 inches of precipitation annually. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for New Orleans? ▼
New Orleans has a climate comfort score of 80/100 (Excellent), milder than 82% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in New Orleans? ▼
New Orleans has approximately 335 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around January 30 and the first fall freeze around December 31.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in New Orleans? ▼
New Orleans has 1,176 heating degree days and 3,206 cooling degree days annually, a cooling-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this New Orleans climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USW00012916 near New Orleans.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USW00012916. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.