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A view of New Orleans’ French Quarter on Tuesday. (Michael DeMocker/Getty Images)
A rare and historic snowfall blanketed parts of the southern United States on Tuesday, allowing residents to play in some rather unusual weather. Families went snowtubing in Houston. People made snowballs and snow angels. People have even been seen skiing on Bourbon Street.
The storm gave New Orleans its first measurable snowfall for the first time in 15 years. In nearby Kenner, Louisiana, 4 inches of snow were reported. The last time the area received measurable snow was in 2009 and it was a tenth of an inch thick, while the city’s record snowfall was 2.7 inches in 1963, a reported Axios.
New Orleans, a city primarily known for its heat and humidity, will likely see 4 to 7 inches of snow as the National Weather Service issued its first-ever blizzard warning for areas of southern Louisiana.
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This comes as much of the United States experiences its coldest temperatures of the season, with nearly 220 million residents across 40 states facing extremely cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills due to a mass of arctic air which has settled over a large part of the country.
Other areas of the South are seeing intense snowfall, including Houston, which received more than 4 inches of snow from Monday night into Tuesday morning. Parts of coastal Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle are facing winter storm warnings.
Meanwhile, several schools in Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana will be closed through Wednesday. FlightAware reported that at least 95% of Tuesday’s flights from Houston airports were canceled, while 89% of international flights from New Orleans were canceled.
New Orleans authorities urged residents to stay home and avoid driving. The city itself does not have snow plows but receives help from the Louisiana Department of Transportation to clear roads and salt the ice.
At a news conference Monday, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landy warned that if some areas like New Orleans experience more than “that critical threshold of 4 inches” of snow, it would “effectively shut down the state for at least a day or two.” »
Sous chef Eric Walker gets into a snowball fight outside Bourbon House restaurant in New Orleans. (Michael DeMocker/Getty Images)
People play in the snow in downtown Houston. (Ashley Landis/AP)
Dogs dressed for winter in New Orleans. (Gerald Herbert/AP)
A snowy street in Houston. (Ashley Landis/AP)
Winter fun at Eleanor Tinsley Park in Houston. (Danielle Villasana/Getty Images)
Sledding in Houston on Tuesday. (Danielle Villasana/Getty Images)
A rare day of sledding in Houston. (Danielle Villasana/Getty Images)
Along the Mississippi River in New Orleans. (Michael DeMocker/Getty Images)
Interstate 45 in Houston. (Danielle Villasana/Getty Images)
A snowy day in New Orleans. (Jack Brook/AP)
The snow-covered statue of jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. (Michael DeMocker/Getty Images)
