Founded in 1718 by French colonial officer Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville and later held by Spain before the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, New Orleans grew on a bend of the Mississippi Delta that leaves roughly half the city at or below sea level, kept dry by an aging network of levees and pumps. Hurricane season runs June-November, and Katrina's 2005 levee failures remain the benchmark for storm preparation. None of that dampens the French Quarter, where jazz drifts from Frenchmen Street clubs and Creole kitchens serve gumbo into the early morning. The Choctaw called the site Bulbancha, land of many tongues — fitting for a port built on Spanish, French, Haitian and West African influence.
Nights sit around 24°C and afternoons around 32°C, though some days reach 35°C.
New Orleans has real seasons: summer afternoons sit around 34°C, winter ones around 19°C.
Some summer days reach 37°C, and some winter nights drop to 1°C.
It rains all year: about 11 days in 30 in June and 4 in October, so there is no dry stretch to aim for.
Wind is rarely an issue; most months sit between calm and a light breeze. Air quality is worth watching: July averages an AQI of 63, while November clears to 35.
Days stretch to about 13.9 hours of light in June and shrink to 10.1 in December — something to weigh if you work to a fixed timezone.
For what you're after, the best month in New Orleans is October. Expect fast internet (338 Mbps) and a high cost of living (about €2450 a month).
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