See the snowfall totals from the historic January snowstorm of 2025
The FOX Forecast Center said the combination of deep moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and cold temperatures from a previous arctic outbreak helped the snow to water ratio to be rather high for the event.
Beachgoers in Florida were met with a not-so-pleasant surprise as strong snow and winds slammed the area
Record-breaking snow totals throughout Florida amid an historic winter storm.
NEW ORLEANS – A rare southern snowstorm created sights that only occur about once in a lifetime, with cities from the Lone Star State through the Florida Panhandle reporting heavy snowfall.
According to official weather observation sites, both New Orleans and Pensacola saw around 8" of snow, but there were plenty of unofficial social media reports along the Interstate 10 corridor that were in the 10-to-12-inch range.
The FOX Forecast Center said the combination of deep moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and cold temperatures from a previous arctic outbreak helped the snow-to-water ratio be rather high for the event, allowing totals to exceed some forecast models.
Officially, the Big Easy saw 8" of snowfall from the storm system, which was the snowiest day in more than 100 years, but the event was not the most significant winter storm to ever impact the region.
New Orleans shatters old snow record
The Big Easy saw 8" of snow during the late-January snowstorm, with winds causing snowdrifts to approach a foot in some areas.
According to the National Weather Service, that record still belongs to the winter of February 14-15, 1895, when 8"-10" amounts were reported west of the French Quarter.
The heaviest snowfall in the Bayou State appeared to be east of New Orleans in St. Bernard Parish, where at least 11.5" was reported by a member of the public.
The NWS in New Orleans said that while there were plenty of measurements above what their official tally showed, amounts likely varied due to wind and other factors, which can impact the accuracy of some measurements.
Snowfall accumulation map from 1/21/2025
DEADLY 1,500-MILE PARALYZING WINTER STORM BLANKETS SOUTH IN SNOW FROM TEXAS TO FLORIDA
Mobile sets record but fails to reach state all-time tally
Louisiana was not the only state to break records - Mobile, Alabama, recorded its heaviest snowfall in some 130 years.
The NWS officially reported 7.5" at the main airport, but there were plenty of snowdrifts that were thought to be in the 10-20 inch range.
The previous record for the snowiest event was 6", which occurred back in 1895.
The official tally fell short of surpassing the state's record of 20 inches, which was recorded in central Alabama during the historic blizzard of 1993.
Tuesday’s snowfall was heavy enough to coat the usually sunny beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.
SNOW BLANKETS NEW ORLEANS DURING HISTORIC GULF COAST WINTER STORM
Heavy snow blankets Southern Alabama amid winter storm in the South U.S.
Areas throughout Alabama experience heavy snow amid an record-breaking historic winter storm spread across in the Southern U.S.
Florida sets snowfall record
Neighboring Florida not only saw heavy snow but also broke the state’s previous one-day record.
According to the NWS, more than 7.6" officially fell over Pensacola, with around 8.8" occured in nearby Milton.
The previous all-time greatest snowfall event occurred on March 6, 1954, when just 4" fell outside of Pensacola.
Similar to other southern states, there were plenty of unofficial reports that were significantly greater than what official observation sites registered.
Widespread reports of 5" to 12" of snowfall were reported in the western Panhandle on Tuesday evening, which caused troopers to shut down a nearly 70-mile stretch of Interstate 10.
According to the NWS meteorologists in Tallahassee, it will take several days to verify all the snowfall reports and determine if any one city beat out the Pensacola metro for seeing the greatest snowfall tally ever in the Sunshine State.
Stretch of I-10 shut down in Florida due to the snow.
(FOX Weather)