In an unexpected twist during the winter whiplash, metro New Orleans has received more snowfall since the start of meteorological winter than many cold-weather cities across the country, including Philadelphia, New York and Anchorage, Alaska.
As of Jan. 22, the Big Easy had received a total of 8 inches of snowfall, all courtesy of a storm system that produced wintry precipitation from Texas through the mid-Atlantic.
Officially, the storm system produced the snowiest day in more than 100 years, though it was not the most significant winter storm to ever impact the region.
The heaviest snowfall around New Orleans appeared to be around St. Bernard Parish, where at least 11.5 inches were reported by a member of the public.
The amount of snow was more typical of what northern latitudes see during the winter, but because of its rarity, the snowy weather has become a temporary tourist attraction.
As the South experiences unusually cold weather, the snow totals have sparked a conversation about unexpected weather trends.
According to weather observation sites, New York City has seen just under 6 inches of snow since winter began, meaning that the Big Easy has seen more frozen precipitation this winter than the Big Apple.
The same is true for dozens of other cities along the Interstate 95 corridor as well as Anchorage.
According to the National Weather Service, Anchorage has only seen 3.8 inches of snow since Dec. 1, which is nearly a deficit of 2 feet.
When the snow observations for New Orleans and Anchorage are compared since July, the snow tallies don’t even come close.
Since July 1, Alaska’s most populated city has seen 30 inches of snowfall, which might sound impressive but is more than a foot behind normal.
In a lighthearted post about the weather shift, NWS meteorologists in Anchorage jokingly posted, “We’d like our snow back. Or at least some King Cake in return.”
No word if the NWS office that services the New Orleans metro will send Alaska a cake around the time of Mardi Gras festivities.
King Cake is a traditional dessert consumed during Mardi Gras and often features a small plastic baby which is hidden deep inside. The person who finds the plastic figurine is said to have good luck through Lent and the entire year.