# New Orleans: Pack a Winter Coat? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 28, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-pack-a-winter-coat/530714 "2010-02-28T01:56:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-pack-a-winter-coat/530714/1 "2010-02-28T01:56:55Z")
What outerwear are they wearing in New Orleans by day/night for today’s weather? Should I pack a winter coat, although I’d rather leave the bulky thing home! ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-pack-a-winter-coat/530714/2 "2010-02-28T02:21:08Z")
I’ve never needed a winter coat in New Orleans, and we’re usually there right at New Years. A few times I’ve needed a sweater, but a long-sleeve tee and a windbreaker is usually plenty. Plus, of course, you’ll have your booze to keep you warm. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-pack-a-winter-coat/530714/3 "2010-02-28T02:22:19Z")
I’d bring a couple of zip-up hoodies or sweaters. If it happens that one isn’t enough, you can wear them together. ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-pack-a-winter-coat/530714/4 "2010-02-28T02:37:26Z")
I’m one hour away from New Orleans, in Gulfport, MS. Today was very mild. Wear a light hoodie if you want to. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-pack-a-winter-coat/530714/5 "2010-02-28T04:08:22Z")
It depends on what you consider cold. It was about 45 degrees this morning in New Orleans. It got up to about 60 in the early afternoon Wednesday, it got into the mid 70s. I seriously doubt that it’s going to freeze again this year, but you never know. We often go entire winters without seeing temperatures under 32 degrees, but we had the longest freeze this winter that I can ever remember. We went about 4 days without the temperature getting above freezing. This has definitely been a colder-than-usual winter for us. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-pack-a-winter-coat/530714/6 "2010-02-28T15:54:34Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > What outerwear are they wearing in New Orleans by day/night for today’s weather? Should I pack a winter coat, although I’d rather leave the bulky thing home! I guess it depends on your definition of winter coat. To me (I live in the slightly colder suburbs north of the lake) any coat at all is for winter. To walk around after dark you will definitely need a coat of some sort-a windbreaker will do- and it will probably be more comfortable during most of the day. To the rest of the country we are having springtime weather right now. I don’t think it will hit 70 today but it will come close. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-pack-a-winter-coat/530714/7 "2010-02-28T16:22:38Z")
Its been surprisingly cold here in the deep south this year. And when its cold down here its usually pretty windy, and often damp as hell to boot. Neither of which makes things feel any warmer. Unless you have a high tolerance for cold, bring a good coat, or at least 2 or 3 things that layered up all together that can keep you toasty. Why take the chance of being cold and uncomfortable for a pleasure trip to avoid the “hassel” of bringing decent clothing? Its not like your hiking hundreds of miles or going on an extended ocean voyage and every ounce/item needs to analyzed in excrutiating detail. I can STAND the cold, but I can certainly tell you whenever I am cold, I aint having no fun. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-pack-a-winter-coat/530714/8 "2010-02-28T18:44:24Z")
It would probably help to know what the weather is like where you live. Minnesotans, for example, might be going around in shirtsleeves when New Orleans folks are wearing a jacket.