15 years ago today, New Orleans was covered in snow
Brantly Keiek
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Known for its warm climate and mild winters, New Orleans experienced an extraordinary weather event on this day 15 years ago as snow blanketed the city.
The unexpected snowfall on Dec. 11, 2008, took both residents and tourists by surprise, covering the city’s streets and iconic landmarks in a rare wintry white.
According to weather reports across the New Orleans area, around one to two inches of snow dusted the city, marking one of the most significant snowfalls the city had witnessed in decades. The last time such a remarkable snow event occurred was nearly 20 years earlier, in 1989.
Several New Orleanians were seen embracing the unusual weather, taking to social media to share images of snow-covered parks, the French Quarter and the Mississippi River banks.
Snow falls on the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square on December 11, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Snow falls on the St. Charles Avenue streecar on December 11, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Cher Alleman puts the finishing touches on a snowman on December 11, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
A Hurricane evacuation route sign is covered in snow on December 11, 2008 in New Orleans. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
A passenger sits on the St. Charles Avenue streecar watching the snow fall on December 11, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Jeremy Massett uses a pair of hedge clippers to trim branches used as arms for a snowman on December 11, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Snow falls on the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square on December 11, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Snow falls on St. Charles avenue homes on December 11, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
A snowman sits on the Mississippi levee on December 11, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Snow falls on St. Charles avenue homes on December 11, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
A man runs along a snow covered levee on December 11, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Snow falls on the St. Charles Avenue streecar on December 11, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
A passenger sits on the St. Charles Avenue Streecar as the snow falls on December 11, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Snow collects on an above ground tomb in a cemetery on December 11, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Snow collects on above ground tombs in a cemetery on December 11, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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While snowfall is a rarity in the city, it does occur on occasion. Notably, on Christmas Day in 2004, New Orleans experienced a light dusting of snow, offering residents a memorable white Christmas.
The infrequency of snow in the region contributes to the excitement and novelty when it does occur.
According to the National Weather Service, the Gulf Coast region typically witnesses snowfall only once every several years due to its subtropical climate. The city’s average winter temperatures rarely dip low enough for snow to form.
While meteorologists predict a return to more typical New Orleans weather in the coming days, the memory of snowfall on Dec. 11, 2008, will undoubtedly linger in the minds of those who experienced this charming anomaly in the city’s weather patterns.
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