Snow in New Orleans - December 2008

Icy road conditions are not what one would expect for the typically balmy winter climate in Louisiana, but an accumulation of snow occurred on December 11, 2008 - the first snow in New Orleans since a dusting occurred in 2004.

Other significant snowfall has occurred in the New Orleans area including a storm on December 31, 1963. The NWS reported a low pressure system that moved towards Florida and interacted with intruding cold air across the Deep South to produce heavy snow along the Gulf Coast. New Orleans Audubon Park measured four and a half inches of snow while the Slidell area measured nine inches. Overall, measurable snow has been seen in New Orleans only 17 times since 1850.

The 1963 snowfall was the greatest snowfall in the Greater New Orleans area this century as portions of the region became snowbound due to a lack of snow removal equipment. While the 2008 snow in New Orleans hardly compares to being snowbound, no one will soon forget their first snow in years.