Southeast Louisiana (Including New Orleans): Wettest Part of the State (~60 in/yr)

Southeast Louisiana—including New Orleans—receives the highest average annual precipitation in the state: ~60 inches (1,524 mm).

Why

• Gulf moisture: Prevailing southerly flow from warm Gulf of Mexico.
• Sea-breeze convergence: Daily summer thunderstorms.
• Frontal systems: Winter/spring storm tracks.
• Tropical cyclones: Hurricanes/tropical storms add extreme events.

Gradient

Rainfall decreases northwestward: NW Louisiana ~48–52 in/yr. State average ~55 in.