Bowcast

Rainbow forecast for New Orleans

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States: today's peak estimated rainbow chance, the best forecast interval to look up, and the week ahead.

…

Checking about 40 forecast ensemble members for sunlit rain near New Orleans…

Open the live map for New Orleans

Rainbow weather in New Orleans

New Orleans runs on convective rhythm: heat builds cumulus through the day, showers collapse out of them, and the sun returns fast. That quick alternation of downpour and sunshine, especially in the wet season, produces frequent late-afternoon bows once the sun drops below 42 degrees.

At 29.9° north, New Orleans's useful viewing window shifts with the seasons. Local winter brings longer periods of low sun, while summer usually concentrates the geometry near sunrise and sunset.

Wherever you are, the geometry is the same: a primary rainbow forms opposite the sun while the sun is less than about 42 degrees above the horizon. Bowcast's research-informed heuristics give extra weight to clearing showers. The gauge above applies them to ensemble forecasts for the 12 km around New Orleans.

Rainbow questions, answered

When do rainbows appear in New Orleans?
Rainbows need sunlit rain with the sun lower than about 42 degrees, so in New Orleans useful windows often occur after sunrise or before sunset on showery days. A study in ZhaoSu, China found that about nine in ten observed rainbows occurred during the hour after rainfall. Bowcast uses that regional finding as research guidance, not a universal rate.
Where should I look for a rainbow in New Orleans?
Always directly opposite the sun: put the sun at your back and look toward the retreating rain. In the evening that means looking east; in the morning, west.
What is the estimated rainbow chance in New Orleans today?
Bowcast checks about 40 forecast ensemble members for sunlit-rain ingredients around New Orleans, hour by hour, for the next 7 days. The result is an estimated chance from model agreement, not a probability calibrated against observed rainbow frequencies. This page shows today's peak and best forecast interval; the Now board shows the interval containing the current time.

More rainbow forecasts