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New Orleans sits on the Mississippi River delta in southeastern Louisiana, on low ground between the river and Lake Pontchartrain, much of it below sea level and protected by levees, at approximately 29.95°N, 90.07°W. It has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — hot, oppressively humid summers and mild winters — and it is among the wettest major American cities.
Summer, from June to September, is hot and oppressively humid, with July and August the hottest — average highs around 33°C and warm, sticky nights — and the heat index regularly exceeding 43°C. Near-daily afternoon thunderstorms bring torrential rain, and this season coincides with the Atlantic hurricane season, when the city faces its gravest threat.
Winter, from December to February, is mild and short, with January the coolest month — average highs around 17°C and lows near 7°C. Frost occurs on the coldest nights but snow is very rare. Cold fronts sweeping down from the continent bring brief chilly, rainy spells alternating with warm, humid days; the season is comfortably the pleasantest of the year.
New Orleans is very wet, receiving around 1,600 mm of rain a year — among the highest totals of any major American city — spread through every month with a summer maximum from thunderstorms and tropical systems; its below-sea-level bowl relies on a vast pumping system to stay dry. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.
New Orleans is uniquely vulnerable: much of the city lies below sea level, ringed by levees and drained by pumps, while receiving over 1,600 mm of rain a year and sitting squarely in the hurricane belt. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 breached those defences and flooded eighty percent of the city, the costliest natural disaster in American history.
To follow any single measurement in New Orleans more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.