On Today's Date: Valentine's 1895 America's 'Most Anomalous Snowstorm'
While January 2025's Winter Storm Enzo was a historic Gulf Coast snowstorm, a late 19th century event was even more bizarre in some areas.
From Feb. 14-16, 1895, 130 years ago, a major snowstorm buried parts of the Gulf Coast in over a foot of snow. Yes, that's right, over 12 inches of snow in some of the southernmost locations in the Lower 48 states.
The town of Rayne, Louisiana, set the state's all-time record with 24 inches of snowfall. Lake Charles, known more recently for damaging hurricanes and flash flood events, picked up 22 inches of snow. Baton Rouge had 12.5 inches and New Orleans 8 to 10 inches of snow.
This Valentine's storm was even more bizarre in Texas. Houston was buried in a record 20 inches and even Galveston managed over a foot of snow (15.4 inches) just five years before America's deadliest hurricane wiped out the city.
But even that wasn't the most bizarre part of this storm.
Brownsville, Texas, picked up 5 to 6 inches of snow. They've only managed measurable snow two other times since 1895, one on Christmas 2004, the other in December 2017.
And snow flurries even were seen in Tampico, Mexico, below the Tropic of Cancer, the most southerly sea-level snow observed in the Northern Hemisphere, according to weather historian Christopher Burt.
The storm went on to wring out snow elsewhere along the coast from Mississippi, Alabama and Florida to Georgia, including as far south as Tampa.
Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Summer Is Coming And So Are The Mosquitoes: Here Are Some Of The Best Ways To Protect Yourself
If you've been chomping at the bit to get outside and enjoy the longer days of summer, don't let mosquitoes kill your buzz. The warming temperatures and rising humidity that come with the season likely mean mosquitoes are hatching in your backyard right now. Heavy rain across some parts of the country also increases that likelihood. As senior digital meteorologist Chris Dolce points out: "Much of the South and East have endured a wetter than average May, with abundant rainfall surpluses." As of May 29, the month ranked as the second-wettest May in Birmingham, Alabama; the 13th-wettest in Atlanta and the fifth-wettest in Boston. So if you're trying to largely avoid pesticides and insecticides, here are some of the best ways to eliminate and avoid mosquitoes. Your first layer of protection is insect repellent, so we turned to Consumer Reports for their expertise. They've rigorously tested dozens of repellents and have ranked 59 of them based on their effectiveness. Consumer Reports' Senior Health Reporter Kevin Loria recommends that you look for repellents that use EPA-registered ingredients. Among the ones they tested, those with DEET performed best. If you're looking for a plant-based alternative, he says sprays with OLE – oil of lemon eucalyptus – were also effective. Loria notes that OLE is also less likely to damage fabrics. While you might have seen recommendations or online recipes for homemade repellents using essential oils like peppermint, Loria says Consumer Reports testing showed those are only effective for a very short time – 30 minutes to an hour. Repellents with DEET can last six to eight hours, so that can eliminate the need to reapply. Pro tip: If you need to apply both sunscreen and bug repellent, both Loria and the CDC recommend applying sunscreen first and then insect repellent. Standing water is a breeding haven for mosquitoes, so scour your outdoor spaces for items that may be working against you – from toys and dog bowls, to plant pot saucers, bird baths and your trash containers. You want to turn over, empty, throw out or clean those containers regularly throughout the summer. Loria said dumping out sources of standing water every one to two weeks can do a good job of interrupting and stopping the breeding cycle of mosquitoes in your yard. If you have a swimming pool, make sure to maintain proper chlorine levels and clean the filters and pumps so there's no buildup of organic matter that can attract mosquitoes. (MORE: How To Build A Mosquito Kill Bucket) Let's stay in the backyard and talk about how plants can hinder and help you. First, you want to trim overgrown hedges, bushes and other plants. They can be a good resting and hiding place for mosquitoes. You'll also want to keep your lawn in check by mowing it regularly, but don't forget to clean up the clippings, as those can hold moisture and attract the flying pests. There are plants you can add to your garden that are natural mosquito repellents. As a bonus, they'll look and smell good in your garden. Some good options include: Lemongrass Lemon Eucalyptus Lavender Mint Rosemary Marigolds Citronella Basil Sage Taking a walk or exercising outdoors at dusk or dawn may be a way to beat the most intense heat of the day, but those times are like happy hour for some mosquito species. That can vary by where you live, so pay attention and either avoid being outdoors at those times or layer on the repellent. Here's something else you should note: Getting sweaty and dirty can also make you more attractive to the insects. "When we're out and about and we're moving around, we're exhaling carbon dioxide, and that helps attract mosquitoes," said Loria. Ever notice that you see fewer mosquitoes on breezy days? The insects find it difficult to fly in strong winds, so installing an outdoor fan on your patio or just bringing your box or standing fan out to the porch is not only a great way to stay cool, but it can fend off the bugs.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Belmont Stakes: Rain Clearing Out Of Northeast In Time For Race, But Muddy Track Conditions Could Remain
After a morning of rain and stormy skies, conditions will improve for Saratoga Springs, New York, ahead of the Belmont Stakes horse race Saturday evening. But while the skies may be dry, the track may not be. A weather station in Saratoga Springs recorded nearly 1.5 inches of rain since midnight at noon ahead of the race, which could contribute to muddy track conditions. While Saratoga Springs was not under any significant weather alerts on Saturday, there was a flash flood warning nearby in Albany, NY. The race day schedule has already been altered, with two races being moved off the turf to the main track. (MORE: How Weather Can Affect Horses At The Kentucky Derby) Glimpses of sunshine will become more frequent as the day progresses with temperatures warming into the low 70s by post time at 7:04 pm. (15-min details: For even more granular weather data tracking in your area, view your 15-minute details forecast in our Premium Pro experience.) Sara Tonks is a content meteorologist with and has a bachelor's and a master's degree from Georgia Tech in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences along with a master's degree from Unity Environmental University in Marine Science.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
National Weather Service warns strong storms could roll through Kentucky. What to know
Coming off the heels of a round of deadly tornadoes in May, the National Weather Service anticipates a round of severe storms could hit the southern portion of Kentucky on June 7. "We'll see generally quiet weather across the region this morning. However, another round of strong to severe storms is forecast to move into the region this afternoon and continue through the evening," a spokesperson for the National Weather Service Louisville office said in an email. The worst of the storms is expected to hit southern Kentucky. Here is what to know about the severe weather heading to Kentucky: The main threats for June 7 consist of heavy rainfall, isolated flash flooding, and the potential for isolated damaging winds. The slight chance for severe weather is expected to hit southern Kentucky. Showers and thunderstorms are expected across the state into the afternoon and evening. More: Is Kentucky becoming more tornado-prone? Well, it's complicated Tornadoes in May, including an EF-4, were responsible for killing 19 people in Eastern Kentucky. Two weeks later, a small tornado hit Washington County, killing another person. As of May 23, President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Kentucky related to the tornadoes, severe storms and straight-line winds that decimated parts of the state from May 16-17, including the EF-4 tornado that tore through Russell, Pulaski and Laurel counties, The Courier Journal previously reported. This marked the third major disaster declaration issued for the state for 2025, following historic flooding in April and February. Reporters Connor Giffin and Stephanie Kuzydym contributed to this report. Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@ or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter at @oliviamevans_. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: National Weather Service forecast strong to severe storms in Kentucky
