Snow in Louisiana - wikipedia Snow in Louisiana Jump to : navigation , search This article is an orphan , as no other articles link to it . Please introduce links to this page from related articles ; try the Find link tool for suggestions . ( December 2016 ) Southeast region snowfall on Christmas Day 2004 Snow in the state of Louisiana presents a rare and serious problem because of the state 's subtropical climate . For snow to push into the southern region of Louisiana , extreme weather conditions for the area must be present , usually a low - pressure system coupled with unusually low temperatures . Average snowfall in Louisiana is approximately 0.2 inches ( 5.1 mm ) per year , a low figure rivaled only by the states of Florida and Hawaii . Due to the infrequency of these cold weather patterns , southern areas affected in this state are often unprepared to deal with slick streets and freezing temperatures . Contents ( hide ) 1 Notable events 2 State preparedness 3 Louisiana 's environment 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Notable events ( edit ) Lake Charles , Louisiana in 1895 1895 : A large snow storm spanning from Texas to Alabama left New Orleans with approximately 8.2 inches ( 21 cm ) of snow , Lake Charles with 22 inches ( 56 cm ) of snow , and Rayne with 24 inches ( 61 cm ) of snow . However , these are unconfirmed . 1899 : With the Great Blizzard of 1899 , snowfall in New Orleans reached 3.8 inches ( 9.7 cm ) with strong winds and temperatures below 10 ° F ( − 12 ° C ) . 2004 : The 2004 Christmas Eve snowstorm swept across southern Texas and Louisiana , leaving unprecedented amounts of snow in areas that had not seen snow in 15 to 120 years . 2008 : It snowed in and around semi-tropical New Orleans on Thursday December 11th , 2008 . From dawn to mid-morning a thick snowfall of plump , wet flakes buried much of southeast Louisiana , from Amite to Westwego , under a blanket of white . Snow in inches : Lawrence County , MS : 9.0 '' Bogue Chitto , MS : 8.0 `` * * Amite , LA : 8.0 '' Washington , LA : 6.0 '' Opelousas , LA : 6.0 '' Covington , LA : 6.0 '' Hammond , LA : 6.0 '' Beaumont , TX : 4.0 '' 2014 : The early 2014 North American cold wave that blew through the eastern portion of the continental United States produced record low temperatures and brought freezing snow and sleet to Louisiana . 2017 : Early in the morning on December 8 , 2017 , a winter storm dripped snowflakes on much of south Louisiana . Throughout the day , more and more snow fell . Snow lasted all day long . Heavy snowfall fell on the ground , giving some places a 6 - inch snowfall day . Most schools across Louisiana closed due to the snow . State preparedness ( edit ) Because of the scarcity of freezing temperatures in Louisiana , many citizens of the region are often left unprepared to handle what might be considered a storm of little consequence in more northern states . The region has developed a system of road and school closures with only minimal snowfall , as most drivers in the area are unprepared to deal with slick , frozen roads . In fact , the governor of Louisiana may choose to invoke the Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act , R.S. 29 : 721 , to declare a state of emergency due to extreme cold and snow . In 2014 , Gov. Bobby Jindal did just that in advance of the weather and assembled teams to assist in preparation and recovery . Louisiana 's environment ( edit ) The state 's typically humid subtropical climate rarely encounters precipitation coupled with freezing temperatures . The Gulf of Mexico helps maintain this climate , particularly closer to the coast . The normally extreme summers are rarely countered by cold winters , with snowfall low in intensity and frequency . Average winter temperature normals in southern Louisiana vary from the 40s to the 60s Fahrenheit . Natural disasters such as hurricanes are far more common , and such an ecosystem is ill prepared for snow , particularly the seafood supply on which Louisiana relies for much of its revenue . Little research has been done directly linking effects on Louisiana 's ecosystem to snow conditions . However , the jet stream that created the 2014 North American cold wave has been linked to global warming , and resultant cold fronts have been linked to salt water intrusion in Louisiana 's Atchafalaya Bay . However , one of Louisiana 's most famous animals , the alligator , has proved versatile in adapting to cold weather conditions by burrowing in `` alligator holes '' , which they usually use for waiting out a drought . Studies conducted in Finland and Sweden suggest that snow creates more potential problems in urban communities due to increased pollution in runoff . Due to the state 's lack of resources and funding , however , it is unclear what levels of pollution due to snow affect the Louisiana area . See also ( edit ) Snow in Florida References ( edit ) Jump up ^ Palmer , Chad . `` How a low - pressure system affects weather '' . USA Today . Retrieved 3 March 2014 . Jump up ^ `` U.S. Average Snow State Rank '' . World Media Group . Retrieved 1 April 2014 . ^ Jump up to : `` 1981 - 2010 NCDC Monthly Normals '' . Southern Regional Climate Center . Retrieved 5 March 2014 . ^ Jump up to : Burt , Christopher ( 2011 ) . `` Snowstorms in the Southeast and Deep South of the United States : An Historical Perspective '' . Wunderground . Retrieved 4 March 2014 . Jump up ^ `` The Great Christmas Eve Snow Storm '' . Farmer 's Almanac. 2006 . Retrieved 5 March 2014 . Jump up ^ Masters , Jeff ( 7 January 2014 ) . `` Extreme Cold Wave Invades Eastern Half of U.S '' . Wunderground . Retrieved 5 March 2014 . Jump up ^ `` Baton Rouge area road and interstate closures '' . The Times Picayune. 29 January 2014 . Retrieved 5 March 2014 . Jump up ^ Rischer , Richard ( 29 January 2014 ) . `` Southeast Louisiana , south Mississippi winter storm '' . WDSU News . Retrieved 5 March 2014 . Jump up ^ `` Press Release '' . State of Louisiana . Retrieved 28 March 2014 . Jump up ^ `` Warm , subtropical climate gives an opportunity for year round operations '' . CLECO Business Development . Retrieved 5 March 2014 . Jump up ^ Gunn , Billy ; Ward Steven ( 1 February 2014 ) . `` Chilly temperatures before Super Bowl weekend cause short supply , higher prices '' . The Advocate . Retrieved 5 March 2014 . Jump up ^ Neuman , Scott ( 16 February 2014 ) . `` Warming Arctic May Be Causing Jet Stream To Lose Its Way '' . NPR . Retrieved 5 March 2014 . Jump up ^ Li , Chunyan ; Roberts , Harry ; Stone , Gregory ; Weeks , Eddie ; Yixin , Luo ( January 2011 ) . `` Wind surge and saltwater intrusion in Atchafalaya Bay during onshore winds prior to cold front passage '' . Hydrobiologia. 658 ( 1 ) : 27 -- 39 . doi : 10.1007 / s10750 - 010 - 0467 - 5 . ISSN 0018 - 8158 . Retrieved 5 March 2014 . Jump up ^ Thomas , Bob . `` Where Do Alligators Go in Winter ? '' . Loyola University New Orleans . Retrieved 1 April 2014 . Jump up ^ Sillanpaa , Nora ( 2013 ) . `` Catchment - scale evaluation of pollution potential of urban snow at two residential catchments in southern Finland '' . Water Science and Technology . 68 ( 10 ) : 2164 -- 2170 . doi : 10.2166 / wst. 2013.466 . Retrieved 5 March 2014 . Jump up ^ Lundberg , Angela ; Feiccabrino , James ; Westerlund , Camilla ; Al - Ansari , Nadhir ( 2014 ) . `` Urban snow deposits versus snow cooling plants in northern Sweden : a quantitative analysis of snow melt pollutant releases '' . Water Quality Research Journal of Canada . 49 ( 1 ) : 32 -- 42 . doi : 10.2166 / wqrjc. 2013.042 . External links ( edit ) Wikimedia Commons has media related to Snow in Louisiana . Louisiana Office of State Climatology . losc.lsu.edu United Nations Environment Programme unep.org Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snow_in_Louisiana&oldid=814562456 '' Categories : Climate of Louisiana Snow in the United States Weather - related lists Hidden categories : Orphaned articles from December 2016 All orphaned articles Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 9 December 2017 , at 15 : 37 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . By using this site , you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation , Inc. , a non-profit organization . About Wikipedia 
does it snow in louisiana in the winter
This article is an orphan , as no other articles link to it . Please introduce links to this page from related articles ; try the Find link tool for suggestions . ( December 2016 ) This article is an orphan , as no other articles link to it . Please introduce links to this page from related articles ; try the Find link tool for suggestions . ( December 2016 ) Snow in the state of Louisiana presents a rare and serious problem because of the state 's subtropical climate . For snow to push into the southern region of Louisiana , extreme weather conditions for the area must be present , usually a low - pressure system coupled with unusually low temperatures . Average snowfall in Louisiana is approximately 0.2 inches ( 5.1 mm ) per year , a low figure rivaled only by the states of Florida and Hawaii . Due to the infrequency of these cold weather patterns , southern areas affected in this state are often unprepared to deal with slick streets and freezing temperatures . 1895 : A large snow storm spanning from Texas to Alabama left New Orleans with approximately 8.2 inches ( 21 cm ) of snow , Lake Charles with 22 inches ( 56 cm ) of snow , and Rayne with 24 inches ( 61 cm ) of snow . However , these are unconfirmed . 1899 : With the Great Blizzard of 1899 , snowfall in New Orleans reached 3.8 inches ( 9.7 cm ) with strong winds and temperatures below 10 ° F ( − 12 ° C ) . 2004 : The 2004 Christmas Eve snowstorm swept across southern Texas and Louisiana , leaving unprecedented amounts of snow in areas that had not seen snow in 15 to 120 years . 2008 : It snowed in and around semi-tropical New Orleans on Thursday December 11th , 2008 . From dawn to mid-morning a thick snowfall of plump , wet flakes buried much of southeast Louisiana , from Amite to Westwego , under a blanket of white . Snow in inches : Lawrence County , MS : 9.0 '' Bogue Chitto , MS : 8.0 `` * * Amite , LA : 8.0 '' Washington , LA : 6.0 '' Opelousas , LA : 6.0 '' Covington , LA : 6.0 '' Hammond , LA : 6.0 '' Beaumont , TX : 4.0 '' 2014 : The early 2014 North American cold wave that blew through the eastern portion of the continental United States produced record low temperatures and brought freezing snow and sleet to Louisiana . 2017 : Early in the morning on December 8 , 2017 , a winter storm dripped snowflakes on much of south Louisiana . Throughout the day , more and more snow fell . Snow lasted all day long . Heavy snowfall fell on the ground , giving some places a 6 - inch snowfall day . Most schools across Louisiana closed due to the snow . Because of the scarcity of freezing temperatures in Louisiana , many citizens of the region are often left unprepared to handle what might be considered a storm of little consequence in more northern states . The region has developed a system of road and school closures with only minimal snowfall , as most drivers in the area are unprepared to deal with slick , frozen roads . In fact , the governor of Louisiana may choose to invoke the Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act , R.S. 29 : 721 , to declare a state of emergency due to extreme cold and snow . In 2014 , Gov. Bobby Jindal did just that in advance of the weather and assembled teams to assist in preparation and recovery . The state 's typically humid subtropical climate rarely encounters precipitation coupled with freezing temperatures . The Gulf of Mexico helps maintain this climate , particularly closer to the coast . The normally extreme summers are rarely countered by cold winters , with snowfall low in intensity and frequency . Average winter temperature normals in southern Louisiana vary from the 40s to the 60s Fahrenheit . Natural disasters such as hurricanes are far more common , and such an ecosystem is ill prepared for snow , particularly the seafood supply on which Louisiana relies for much of its revenue . Little research has been done directly linking effects on Louisiana 's ecosystem to snow conditions . However , the jet stream that created the 2014 North American cold wave has been linked to global warming , and resultant cold fronts have been linked to salt water intrusion in Louisiana 's Atchafalaya Bay . However , one of Louisiana 's most famous animals , the alligator , has proved versatile in adapting to cold weather conditions by burrowing in `` alligator holes '' , which they usually use for waiting out a drought . Studies conducted in Finland and Sweden suggest that snow creates more potential problems in urban communities due to increased pollution in runoff . Due to the state 's lack of resources and funding , however , it is unclear what levels of pollution due to snow affect the Louisiana area .