Snowstorm drops 10 inches on New Orleans, breaking records
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New Orleans shattered its single-day snow record Tuesday during a once-in-a-lifetime snowstorm.
Why it matters: Roads, schools and businesses are expected to remain closed through at least midday Thursday due to icy road conditions.
The big picture: The blustery snowstorm dropped 8 inches at the National Weather Service's official observation station at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport as of 5pm Tuesday, beating the previous record there of 2.7 inches set in 1963.
- And the snow hadn't stopped yet.
Other unofficial totals so far:
- 11.5 inches in Chalmette
- 10 inches in New Orleans, Metairie and Des Allemands
- 9.8 inches in Gretna
- 9 inches in Belle Chasse
- 8 inches in Baton Rouge
- 8 inches in Hahnville
- 7.8 inches in Houma
- 6.8 inches in Slidell
- More totals from NWS.
Between the lines: Ten inches fell in Audubon Park on Feb. 14, 1895, NOAA says. NWS says it doesn't do observations at that site any more but there's photographic documentation that "this event was very similar in the New Orleans area." Go deeper for state records.
Zoom in: Even the French Quarter had snow and residents were skiing down Bourbon Street, according to Fox 8's Andrés Fuentes.
- Watch the livestream from EarthCam.
- See more photos.
Stunning stat: NWS issued its first-ever blizzard warning Tuesday in Louisiana for the Lake Charles area.
- A blizzard requires sustained gusts of 35mph plus low visibility for at least three hours due to falling/blowing snow.
Threat level: The snow is forecast to turn into ice and will be slow to melt because of the frigid temperatures, officials say.
- Wednesday is forecast to be sunny, but temperatures are not expected to climb above freezing until Thursday.
- Leaders are asking everyone to shelter at home Wednesday and stay off the roads until the ice melts.
- It's expected to slowly warm up, eventually reaching the 50s on Saturday and 60s on Sunday.
Snow plows: The city hired 14 snow plows from an Indiana company to clear the roads and spread salt, Homeland Security director Collin Arnold said Tuesday.
- They are focusing on the Crescent City Connection, the Pontchartrain Expressway and access routes to University Medical Center and other hospitals.
- Arnold said they will then help clear roads at the airport and in Jefferson Parish.
- It could take 48 hours to clear the roads, totaling up to $336,000 for the snow plow work, Arnold says.
Roads: Significant portions of Interstate 10 are expected to remain closed Wednesday across the state, officials say.
- DOTD, which is borrowing equipment from Arkansas, is using snow plows to clear the roads across the state. See the map of priority routes.
Outages: New Orleans metro wasn't reporting major outages as of 5pm Tuesday, according to Entergy's website. See the latest.
- But, if your power goes out, Orleans and Jefferson parishes have warming shelters: Treme Center, Terrytown Playground and Ree Alario Special Needs Center.
Closures: Schools are closed again Wednesday, along with state and local administrative offices. See WWL's list.
- Many restaurants, grocery stores and businesses are expected to remain closed Wednesday as well.
Water: Jefferson Parish officials are asking residents to minimize non-essential water usage from washing machines and dishwashers.
- New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board hasn't asked for conservation efforts but Arnold with Homeland Security says its always a good idea to conserve, especially in the morning, when there's a storm.
- No boil water advisories were in effect as of 5pm Tuesday, SWBNO says.
Injuries: Two heating-related fires have been reported in the past 24 hours, according to Homeland Security. It wasn't immediately clear if there were injuries.
- There was one case of frostbite to the hands, but no cases of hypothermia as of 5pm Tuesday, city officials said.
Flights: Most airlines expect to resume flights Wednesday in and out of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, airport officials say. See the latest.
Public transit: RTA's service is suspended through midday Thursday for ferries, buses, streetcars and para-transit.
Fun fact: New Orleans has more snow right now than Anchorage, Alaska, according to climate scientist Brian Brettschneider.
Zoom out: Texas also got several inches of snow. See photos from our colleagues at Axios Houston.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details and snow totals.
Go deeper
- Photos: Historic snow blankets New Orleans
- Historic winter storm hits Gulf Coast
- Remembering when New Orleans got 10 inches of snow
