Climate & Weather in New Orleans
New Orleans has a real, genuine humid subtropical climate with mild winters (average January high near 62°F, no meaningful freeze season) and long, hot, humid summers (average July/August high approximately 91°F), alongside approximately 64 inches of annual rainfall and a real, defining Atlantic hurricane season running June through November.
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Learn moreA Genuine Humid Subtropical Climate With Mild Winters
New Orleans' climate delivers real, mild winters -- average January highs run near 62°F, with no meaningful sustained winter freeze season, a real, genuine amenity for movers specifically seeking to avoid cold winters. This record does not overstate this into a claim that New Orleans has no weather risk at all -- see hazardRisk below.
Long, Hot, Genuinely Humid Summers
New Orleans' summers run genuinely long, hot, and humid: average July/August highs run approximately 91°F, with genuinely high humidity making the perceived heat notably more intense than the raw temperature alone suggests. Movers from drier or cooler climates should budget realistically for the real, sustained summer heat-and-humidity stretch.
A Real, Substantial Annual Rainfall Total
New Orleans receives approximately 64 inches of rain annually, with July typically the wettest month -- a real, genuinely wet climate consistent with its subtropical classification and its below-sea-level drainage challenges documented on the flood-hurricane-risk topic page.
Hurricane Season Runs June Through November
Atlantic hurricane season runs June through November, with the real, statistically highest-risk window running approximately August through October -- as detailed in full on the flood-hurricane-risk topic page, this is a real, defining, seasonal consideration distinct from New Orleans' year-round climate averages, not merely a footnote to them.
Mild Winters Do Not Mean a Moderate Climate Overall
Movers specifically drawn to New Orleans' real, mild winters should budget realistically for the genuinely hot, humid summer stretch and the real, seasonal hurricane-preparedness responsibility documented on the flood-hurricane-risk topic page, rather than assuming mild winters imply a moderate climate year-round.
Key takeaways
- New Orleans' genuine humid subtropical climate delivers real, mild winters (average January high ~62°F, no meaningful freeze season) and long, hot, humid summers (~91°F average July/August high).
- New Orleans receives approximately 64 inches of rain annually, with July typically the wettest month.
- Atlantic hurricane season runs June through November (highest risk approximately August-October) -- a real, defining seasonal consideration, not just a climate footnote.
- Movers specifically seeking mild winters will find a real, genuine fit here, but should budget for genuinely hot, humid summers and real hurricane-season preparedness.
- New Orleans' weather-related risk spans both its climate averages and its separately-documented hazard profile -- see flood-hurricane-risk for the fuller picture.
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