New Orleans · Month comparison

September vs April

April ranks #1 overall vs September at #12. Jazz Fest weekend (late April): the city's other peak event — 500,000 people, 12 stages, the best live music in America.

New Orleans September — Louisiana bayou under dark storm clouds

September

#12 of 12 months

Avoid

Still peak hurricane season — statistically the most active month for Gulf storms. Avoid unless you have no choice.

  • ↑Near-empty city and deeply discounted prices — those who must visit for work or family will find it easy to navigate
  • ↑Temperatures begin a slow retreat from August peaks; end of September starts to feel slightly less brutal
New Orleans April — Louis Armstrong statue near Jazz Fest at the Fairgrounds

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
FactorSeptemberApril
Weather score
2
8
Value score
8
5
Crowd score
8
4
Events score
3
9
Atmosphere
5
9
Avg high temp30.7°C26.4°C
Monthly rain135mm105mm
Daily sunshine6.8hrs7.8hrs

September trade-offs

  • ↓September is statistically the peak month of the Atlantic hurricane season — the Gulf of Mexico's warm water temperatures are at their annual maximum, providing maximum fuel for intensifying storms
  • ↓Hurricane Katrina (August 2005), Rita (September 2005), and Ida (August 2021) all struck in this window: the pattern of destruction is a documented fact, not a distant possibility
  • ↓Travel insurance that covers hurricane evacuation is mandatory; non-refundable bookings are a significant financial risk in a named-storm scenario

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
See all 12 months for New Orleans →September in detail →April in detail →
Scores compare months within New Orleans. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →