Oak Alley Plantation Weather, Month by Month
Almost all of a visit here happens outdoors, and the lawn in front of the house has no shade at all. That single fact is what makes the month you come matter.
What the weather does to a visit here
Four of the five exhibits, the alley, the quarters and the block-long walk to the restaurant are open air. Only the interior of the Big House is under a roof, and only during the thirty-five minutes of the guided tour. So heat and rain do not merely make the day less pleasant — they decide how much of the site you actually get round.
The second consequence is the boats. Nine trips bolt a swamp or airboat leg onto the plantation, and that leg is the part a storm cancels. Between June and the end of November the difference between a refundable booking and a non-refundable one is worth more than the price difference between two operators.
Oak Alley month by month
Temperature figures are the 1991–2020 climate normals for New Orleans, the nearest long-record station, rounded to whole degrees. Hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November.
January — high 63°F, low 46°F
The coldest month, and the quietest. Highs sit in the low sixties and mornings start in the mid-forties. The site closes on New Year’s Day. Coach tours run their full timetable and the alley is often empty by mid-morning, so this is the month to photograph it without waiting for a gap.
February — high 66°F, low 50°F
Mardi Gras falls in February or early March and the plantation closes for it. Otherwise highs reach the mid-sixties and the grounds are dry underfoot. New Orleans is at its busiest, so trips fill earlier than the weather would suggest. Book the date before you book anything else that week.
March — high 72°F, low 55°F
Highs climb through the low seventies and the light is long enough for the alley to be worth shooting late as well as early. Rain comes in fronts rather than daily storms. Comfortable walking weather for the full three hours the exhibits actually need, which is not true again until October.
April — high 79°F, low 62°F
Highs near eighty and lows in the low sixties. The most reliable month of the year for a day outdoors here, and the last one before humidity becomes the governing factor. Afternoon slots are still comfortable, so a later departure costs you nothing.
May — high 85°F, low 69°F
Highs into the mid-eighties and the humidity arrives with them. The open lawn in front of the house has no shade at midday. Take a morning departure, carry water, and use the oak-shaded path to the restaurant rather than crossing the grass.
June — high 90°F, low 75°F
Highs hit ninety and Atlantic hurricane season opens on the first. June is one of the two wettest months, with thunderstorms building most afternoons. Airboat legs are the part that gets cancelled. Book a trip whose refund window you can live with, and take the earliest departure on offer.
July — high 91°F, low 77°F
The hottest month, with highs of about ninety-one and nights that stay in the high seventies. Daily afternoon storms are normal rather than exceptional. Two hours on an unshaded lawn is hard work at this time of year, so the shorter half-day trips suit July better than the full-day combinations.
August — high 91°F, low 77°F
As hot as July and statistically the peak of the hurricane season’s first half. Storms are short and heavy. The Big House interior is the only air- conditioned part of the visit, which makes the house ticket worth more in August than in any other month.
September — high 88°F, low 74°F
The single most active month for Atlantic hurricanes, and highs still near ninety. Disruption risk is at its annual maximum. If you travel now, take the free cancellation and avoid the two products that do not offer it — a non-refundable booking in September is a real gamble.
October — high 81°F, low 64°F
Hurricane season ends on the thirtieth of November but October usually breaks the heat. Highs drop to about eighty and mornings to the mid-sixties. Humidity falls away. This and April are the two months when the full three-hour visit is comfortable at any hour of the day.
November — high 71°F, low 54°F
Highs in the low seventies and the season formally closes at the end of the month. Thanksgiving Day is one of the four closures. Low sun down the length of the alley in late afternoon is the best light of the year for the avenue, and the last departures are still back before dark.
December — high 65°F, low 48°F
Highs in the mid-sixties, lows near fifty, and Christmas Day closed. The Christmas bonfire evening on the levee falls in early December and is ticketed separately from day admission. Shortest daylight of the year, so an afternoon departure leaves little time on the grounds.
The seasons, and which one you want
| Season | Highs | What it costs you | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|---|
| December–February | 63–66°F | Two of the four annual closures; shortest daylight | The emptiest alley of the year and no heat at all |
| March–May | 72–85°F | Humidity builds through May | The most reliable outdoor weather; long light both ends of the day |
| June–August | 90–91°F | Daily afternoon storms; unshaded lawn is punishing at midday | Earliest departures and the longest daylight |
| September–November | 71–88°F | September is the peak hurricane month of the year | October and November are the best walking weather after spring |
Closures are the Foundation’s four fixed days. Storm risk follows the Atlantic hurricane season rather than rainfall alone.
Compare every Oak Alley Plantation tour
Best time of day
Early. The site opens at 8:30 a.m. and the first hour is the coolest, the emptiest and the best light down the avenue. Trips that leave New Orleans at eight get you there close to it; the ones that leave at half past ten arrive into the middle of the day. Between May and September that difference is not a preference, it is the difference between walking the grounds and cutting them short.
Late afternoon is the other good hour, and in November the low sun runs the full length of the alley. It is also the hour the deadlines bite: ticket sales stop at 4 p.m. and the last house tour leaves at 4:30 p.m..
Match the trip to the month
Departure times run from eight in the morning to eleven. The comparison shows the start time and the refund window for every trip, which are the two things a Louisiana summer makes you care about.
Which departures leave earliest, and which of them refund in full, are both columns in the comparison on Oak Alley Plantation Tours.
Frequently asked questions
Does Oak Alley close in bad weather?
The site itself stays open in rain; the four annual closures are calendar dates, not weather. What gets cancelled is the boat leg of a combination trip, and that is the operator’s call on the day.
What is the wettest time of year?
June through August, when thunderstorms build most afternoons. They are usually short and heavy rather than all-day rain, which is why an early departure gets a dry visit more often than a late one.
Is it too hot to visit in summer?
Not too hot, but plan differently. Highs reach ninety-one in July and August with no shade on the front lawn. Take the earliest departure, carry water, and treat the air-conditioned house tour as the middle of your visit rather than the start.
Should I avoid hurricane season?
Not necessarily — it covers half the year. September is the month with the highest disruption risk. If you travel between June and November, book something that refunds in full at 24 hours and you have covered the real exposure.
When do the oaks look best?
They are evergreen, so they look much the same all year. The variable is light: early morning any month, and late afternoon in November, when the low sun runs straight down the avenue.