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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

New Orleans in March

New Orleans in March: 37% of days see measurable rain, 73°F average high, 15% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

New Orleans in March is historically a poor month for sun: only 15% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 73°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 March

Clear-sky percentage for New Orleans in March, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early March
1st–15th		 9% n=120 73°F
Late March
16th–end		 20% n=128 73°F
Full month average 15% n=248 73°F

Sunshine & warmth in March

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 March. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early March
1st–15th		 48% n=120
Late March
16th–end		 56% n=128
Full month average 52% n=248
10.4 h median sunshine per day 76% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 37% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 15%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 52%. The 37-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 March: just 15% of days clear historically (n=248). 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 6% n=226 All destinations →
March ← this page 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 March?

Sometimes. New Orleans sees measurable rain on 37% of days in March historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is New Orleans good for sun in March?

Not usually. New Orleans is historically overcast in March: only 15% of days are clear (avg high 73°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025). October is historically far better for sun here.

How New Orleans compares in March

Head-to-head clear-sky comparisons against destinations travelers plausibly weigh against New Orleans this month — same passport tier, similar flight distance, both sides from the same 8-year ERA5 record.

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.