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There is no wishful thinking like the Louisiana family that hangs an autumnal wreath come late September, when the real feel still regularly tops 100 degrees (38☌). That latter date is set by the Catholic liturgical calendar – you can get a list of upcoming Mardi Gras dates here, but the holiday always hits in February or early March.Ĭarnival begins with the streetcar procession of the Phunny Phorty Phellows, and then continues to grow in fever-dream fantasy, with parades like the science fiction-themed Chewbacchus, and culminates in the five days before Mardi Gras, when everything in the city shuts down, everyone throws on a costume and the greater New Orleans metro area becomes an explosion of glitter, costuming and king cake.Ī historic New Orleans mansion decked out for Halloween © Xinhua News Agency / Getty Images October to December for the best of fall, with Halloween and Christmas While Mardi Gras French for Fat Tuesday – is just the one Tuesday, it caps off the whole Carnival season, which lasts from Twelfth Night/The Feast of the Epiphany (January 6) until the day before Ash Wednesday. If you're from outside Louisiana you might think Mardi Gras is a one-day party, but you'd be mistaken. The above is the hook for Al Johnson’s masterpiece Carnival Time, which was recorded in 1960 and, some six decades later, remains the definitive Mardi Gras banger (OK, yes, it shares the title with Professor Longhair’s Go To the Mardi Gras). Marching bands fill the streets for Mardi Gras © Lori Monahan Borden / Shutterstock January to mid-March: It’s Carnival Tiiiiiime Read on to find out how, and more importantly, when. There are other major concerns when visiting New Orleans, namely: what festivals are happening, and how many formal opportunities will exist for overindulgence? Spoiler alert: something will be happening, and yes, you can always have too much of a good thing. Meanwhile, "not-summer" (October to April) can include a surprisingly chilly winter, bracketed by a roughly two-month long, gorgeous spring on the one end, and an autumn that lasts maybe three days on the other (we’re exaggerating, but only just).īut "best time to visit" is not just a question of climate.

Keep in mind that most of summer also overlaps with hurricane season, which has its own climatic footnotes. Summer lasts from May until October but can rear its muggy head at any time of the year: 80☏ (26☌) days in the middle of a 50☏ (10☌) week in winter are definitely a thing. When it comes to New Orleans climate, there are basically two seasons: summer and not-summer. Good times aside, you probably want to arrive at the fun factory when the weather is pleasant. The best time to visit New Orleans is whenever you're feeling like you need to add some fun and random beautiful chaos to your life, because this city manufactures good times in overdrive.