5 Weather

  New Orleans awoke to a morning that felt like a whispered secret, the air thick with humidity and the faint scent of magnolias blooming in the warm breeze. The temperature was already a balmy 72°F (22°C), with the promise of climbing to 82°F (28°C) by afternoon. The sky was a patchwork of clouds, some heavy and gray, others wispy and translucent, as if the heavens couldn’t decide whether to bless the city with rain or bathe it in sunlight. The forecast called for scattered showers, a common occurrence in this city where the weather often felt as alive and unpredictable as the jazz that spilled from its clubs. In the French Quarter, the heart of New Orleans’ soul, the day began slowly, as if the city itself was stretching after a long night. The narrow streets were still damp from an early morning drizzle, their cobblestones glistening under the soft light of gas lamps. The balconies of historic buildings dripped with ivy and flowers, their wrought-iron railings casting intricate ...