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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

New Orleans in February

New Orleans in February: 45% of days see measurable rain, 67°F average high, 6% of days historically clear (n=226, ERA5 2018–2025).

New Orleans in February is historically a poor month for sun: only 6% of days clear across 8 years (n=226, avg high 67°F). October is the clearest month for New Orleans historically. Historical average, not a forecast.

What you are reading: 8-year historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis, not a forecast. A month that is historically 90% clear can still be overcast on your specific trip. For this week’s actual forecast, see the live New Orleans page. Both can be true at once: “historically strong in this month; this particular week is not.” We label which is which.

Early vs. Late February

Clear-sky percentage for New Orleans in February, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early February
1st–15th		 4% n=120 67°F
Late February
16th–end		 8% n=106 67°F
Full month average 6% n=226 67°F

Sunshine & warmth in February

A second measure using actual sunshine hours (ERA5 sunshine_duration), not the daily weather code. A Lowcountry day with 12 hours of sun and a 25-minute afternoon storm is counted below as a warm, sunny day — because it was. How we define this.

Sunshine-based metrics for New Orleans in February. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early February
1st–15th		 23% n=120
Late February
16th–end		 39% n=106
Full month average 31% n=226
9.1 h median sunshine per day 63% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 45% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 6%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 31%. The 25-point gap is from brief afternoon convective storms that stamp the whole day as “rain” in the WMO code but leave the bulk of the sunshine untouched.

Bottom line

New Orleans is a poor choice for sun in February: just 6% of days clear historically (n=226). October is the historically strongest month for sun here. The 8-year record is consistent — this is not a fluke bad stretch.

→ See all destinations in October — historically the best month for sun in New Orleans.

Every month in New Orleans

Compare across all months with data. Numbers are historical clear-sky %.

Historical clear-sky % for New Orleans, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 2% n=248 All destinations →
February ← this page 6% n=226 All destinations →
March 15% n=248 All destinations →
April 34% n=240 All destinations →
May 30% n=248 All destinations →
June 14% n=240 All destinations →
July 7% n=248 All destinations →
August 15% n=248 All destinations →
September 28% n=240 All destinations →
October 42% n=248 All destinations →
November 20% n=240 All destinations →
December 6% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in New Orleans in February?

Sometimes. New Orleans sees measurable rain on 45% of days in February historically (n=226 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is New Orleans good for sun in February?

Not usually. New Orleans is historically overcast in February: only 6% of days are clear (avg high 67°F, n=226 days, ERA5 2018–2025). October is historically far better for sun here.

All percentages are historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 8 full years (2018–2025). “Clear” means avg high ≥ 72 °F, precipitation < 1 mm, and a non-precipitation weather code. This is history, not a forecast. The live 7-day outlook for any destination is on its own page and may differ from the long-run average. Data from Open-Meteo.