New Orleans · Month comparison
November vs April
April ranks #1 overall vs November at #5. Jazz Fest weekend (late April): the city's other peak event — 500,000 people, 12 stages, the best live music in America.
November
#5 of 12 months
Best match
The quiet sweet spot before Thanksgiving: excellent conditions, low prices, and the city fully operational without the crowds.
- ↑Hurricane season ends 30 November — from early November you can book with genuine confidence that the weather-related risk profile is normal
- ↑20°C and comfortable evenings: the best conditions for the St Charles streetcar ride and Magazine Street's independent restaurants and galleries
April
#1 of 12 months
Best match
Jazz Fest weekend (late April): the city's other peak event — 500,000 people, 12 stages, the best live music in America.
- ↑New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (last weekend of April, first of May): 12 stages at the Fairgrounds with everyone from local brass bands to international headliners — the world's greatest concentrated live music event
- ↑26°C and low humidity: the single most comfortable weather window of the year for outdoor eating, walking, and the festival grounds
| Factor | November | April |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 7 | 8 |
| Value score | 7 | 5 |
| Crowd score | 7 | 4 |
| Events score | 4 | 9 |
| Atmosphere | 7 | 9 |
| Avg high temp | 20.1°C | 26.4°C |
| Monthly rain | 88mm | 105mm |
| Daily sunshine | 6.2hrs | 7.8hrs |
November trade-offs
- ↓Few anchor events: November is between Voodoo Fest and the December holiday season — the city is good but not spectacular for event-seekers
- ↓10.6°C overnight lows by month's end require a jacket; the subtropical city feels unexpectedly cold to visitors expecting perennial warmth
- ↓Thanksgiving week itself sees hotel prices spike and restaurant bookings fill up — plan at least two weeks out
April trade-offs
- ↓Jazz Fest weekend: hotels within 20 blocks of the Fairgrounds sell out months in advance; prices spike 60–80%
- ↓The city is genuinely packed during both festival weekends — book Commander's Palace, Dooky Chase, or Cochon weeks out
- ↓105mm of rain: April showers are real — the Fairgrounds becomes muddy in wet years; bring boots
Scores compare months within New Orleans. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →