Live oak trees covered in snow outside of Palmer Park on S. Carrollton during winter weather in New Orleans, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Tali Keteri)

South Louisiana went to sleep on Monday night and either dreamt with excitement or dread of the oncoming winter weather. When most of us awoke from our slumbers the next morning, we had missed the initial onslaught of sleet and instead bore witness to the first flurries that started to shimmer through the air and accumulate on the Magnolia trees. With prestigious reputations to uphold, the weather forecaster’s snowfall predictions changed every hour–all of them eventually settling on an unexpected total of 8-12 inches by the end of the day. Before we knew it, all of us locals were preparing for a real snow day fully equipped with patchwork cold weather gear and makeshift sleds. We dug through storage closets in search of old skis, popped and emptied champagne bottles before 10 AM, and some folks even traded their coveted gumbo for chili. A rare snowstorm in New Orleans was truly afoot.

As the morning unfolded, the city became blanketed with bright white powder and the skies maintained a winter hue of gray. Children and adults alike took to the snow covered streets, building snowmen and even crafting the occasional igloo. With cameras at the ready, people braved cold fingers and misplaced gloves to document this unprecedented once-in- a- lifetime experience.

The more time we all spent wandering around our new winter wonderland, it was clear to see that it wasn’t only us humans who were enjoying the weather. Husky and Malamute dogs could be seen having snow zoomies, rejoicing in finally being able to put their permanent cold weather attire to its proper use. The ever majestic live oaks, usually adorned with leftover Mardi Gras beads now donned the glisten of fresh snow and acted as a raceway for squirrels giving chase through their branches. Today, videos from Audubon Zoo reached the socials showing us that even the elephants and big cats were having the time of their lives. It stood to reason that if anyone had been hoping for a fairytale –something pure and good to help recharge our souls after a very difficult beginning of the year for our city, yesterday did not disappoint. 

The last record breaking snowfall in New Orleans was 130 years ago on February 15th, 1895 where 10 inches were measured in Audubon Park. By 6:21 pm Tuesday January 21st, 2025, we officially tied that record. 

Our city, known for amazing food, music, and culture made headlines around the world yet again this month but this time for something joyful. And us…well, we needed it. The roads? Not so much. But, those infrastructure issues shall be for another day. For now, we can just enjoy looking at everything in this magical city through a snow covered lens because it may be the first and last time New Orleanians ever get to do so.