Louisiana Sets Record Snowfall Amount in 1895

(Lafayette, Louisiana) - Here in Louisiana, we don't get much snowfall during the winter, but occasionally we do, and in 1895, the record for the most snowfall in the "Bayou State" was set.

In 2025, much of Acadiana was blanketed with 9-12 inches of snow, which was a lot but nowhere near the record amount that fell in the late 1800s.

Sure, most of us love the beauty of snow, and, as many said last year after the blizzard dropped nearly a foot in South Louisiana, it truly was peaceful as the snow fell, but afterwards it was a mess.

I say that because I can't imagine how messy it had to have been in 1895 after the record amount of snow melted in Southwest Louisiana.

On Valentine's Day in 1895, 22 inches of snow was recorded in the city of Lake Charles. Yes, nearly two feet of snow fell in South Louisiana, and to put that into perspective, that's more than double what fell in 2025.

The record snowfall came down on February 15th, and on that same day, Baton Rouge got 12 inches of snow, while New Orleans received 8- 10 inches of snow. Remember, transportation in 1895 was nothing like it is today. I would imagine that most of the state was paralyzed for days, if not weeks, after that much snow fell in Louisiana.

If you're curious about how much snow fell in Lafayette in 1895, it is reported that the Heart of Acadiana had 14 inches, a few more than what was recorded here in 2025. At my house last year, I measured 11 inches of snow in my backyard.

So while we may never see that much snow again in Louisiana in our lifetimes, we do know it is possible for a lot of snow to fall here, and some would welcome it.

Llike last year, in 1895 it truly was the perfect storm, and when things lined up, iit made for a very snowy day in South Louisiana. Let me not here that reports say the city of Rayne received 24 inches of snow in February of 1895, whiich would top the 22 inch record snowfall, but that amount was unconfirmed.

Now, the question is, will it snow again in Acdiana in 2026? Well, the extended forecast does call for snow to end in January. So, I guess we wait and see if the white stuff returns one more time.

Here were some photos from the snowfall in Louisiana in 2025, and to think that this was about half of what felll in Lake Charles in 1895 is WILD.