Low Pressure over the Gulf of Mexico drove moisture over a very cold airmass to aid in the development of a band of heavy snow across portions of southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi. Numerous reports of 2 to 5 inches of snow was reported.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS LIX wrote it up.
Low Pressure over the Gulf of Mexico drove moisture over a very cold airmass to aid in the development of a band of heavy snow across portions of southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi. Numerous reports of 2 to 5 inches of snow was reported. Isolated areas of up to 8 inches of snow occurred over portions of southwest Mississippi, and up to 7 inches in small portion of southeast Louisiana near the Mississippi state line. In the areas from just west and southwest of the metro New Orleans area to the Mississippi Coast, generally snow amounts were around an inch to trace. Temperatures were generally around freezing in the areas experiencing snow. However, snow rates were intense enough to result in accumulations. Snow melt and residual water on elevated roadways and bridges froze Friday evening, December 8th, with many roadways becoming slick and some highways closed until mid morning on Saturday, December 9th.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS New Orleans, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 7, 7:45 PM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
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</html>Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service New Orleans LA 539 PM CST Thu Dec 7 2017 GMZ530-532-534-536-538-550-552-555-557-570-572-575-577-LAZ034>037- 039-040-046>050-056>072-MSZ068>071-077-080>082-081145- Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas-Mississippi Sound- Lake Borgne-Chandeleur Sound-Breton Sound- Coastal Waters from Port Fourchon LA to Lower Atchafalaya River LA out 20 nm- Coastal waters from the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River to Port Fourchon Louisiana out 20 NM- Coastal Waters from Boothville LA to Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River out 20 nm- Coastal waters from Pascagoula Mississippi to Stake Island out 20 NM- Coastal waters from Port Fourchon Louisiana to Lower Atchafalaya River LA from 20 to 60 NM- Coastal waters from Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River to Port Fourchon Louisiana from 20 to 60 NM- Coastal Waters from Stake Island LA to Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River from 20 to 60 nm- Coastal waters from Pascagoula Mississippi to Stake Island Louisiana out 20 to 60 NM-Pointe Coupee-West Feliciana- East Feliciana-St. Helena-Washington-St. Tammany-Iberville- West Baton Rouge-East Baton Rouge-Ascension-Livingston-Assumption- St. James-St. John The Baptist-Upper Lafourche-St. Charles- Upper Jefferson-Orleans-Upper Plaquemines-Upper St. Bernard- Upper Terrebonne-Lower Terrebonne-Lower Lafourche-Lower Jefferson- Lower Plaquemines-Lower St. Bernard-Northern Tangipahoa- Southern Tangipahoa-Wilkinson-Amite-Pike-Walthall-Pearl River- Hancock-Harrison-Jackson- 539 PM CST Thu Dec 7 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of Southeast Louisiana...South Mississippi and the adjacent coastal waters. .DAY ONE...Tonight A winter weather advisory is in effect tonight through noon Friday for all of southern Mississippi and a large portion of southeast Louisiana north and west of the tidal lakes. Gale warnings remain in effect through noon Friday for most of the open gulf waters. Small craft advisories remain in effect for the remaining coastal waters through Friday. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday An even stronger cold front is expected to move through the area Friday evening bringing a possible hard freeze to the northern tier of the area while the majority of the remaining areas will have freezing temperatures Friday and Saturday nights. Wind chill temperatures are expected to fall to the low to mid 20s for some areas. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. 24/RR
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
16 heavy snow, 3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
The East Feliciana Parish Emergency Manager reported 4 inches of snow at Clinton.
The cooperative observer near Plaquemine reported 2.5 inches of snow.
The Pointe Coupee Parish Emergency Manager reported 2 inches of snow at New Roads.
The West Feliciana Parish Emergency Manager reported 5 inches of snow 13 miles north-northwest of St. Francisville and 2.5 inches at St. Francisville.
The Tangipahoa Parish Emergency Manager reported 6.5 inches of snow at Kentwood and 3.5 inches at Amite. Accumulation of wet snow caused small and medium sized tree branches to snap, which fell on power lines resulting in some power outages.
The West Baton Rouge Parish Emergency Manager reported 2.5 inches of snow at Port Allen.
The cooperative observer at Pontchatoula reported 3.5 inches of snow. Two inches of snow was reported at Hammond.
The Washington Parish Emergency Manager reported 5.5 inches of snow at Franklinton. Accumulation of wet snow caused small and medium sized tree branches to snap, which fell on power lines resulting in some power outages.
The Emergency Operations Center at the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) reported 3.5 inches of snow. A cooperative observer in the Sherwood Subdivision of Baton Rouge reported 3.9 inches of snow. A public report of 4.5 inches was received from Zachary.
The Ascension Parish Emergency Manager reported 3.5 inches of snow in Gonzales. The cooperative observer at Donaldsonville reported 6.5 inches of snow, while a spotter reported 4.5 inches at Prairieville.
The Assumption Parish Emergency Manager reported 5.5 inches of snow at Belle Rose, 5 inches near Paincourtville, 4.5 inches at Napoleonville and 3 inches at Labadieville.
The cooperative observer near Thibodaux reported 3.5 inches of snow.
The Livingston Parish Emergency Manager reported 5 inches of snow near Whitehall. The cooperative observer at Livingston reported 6.3 inches of snow.
The St. Helena Parish Emergency Manager reported 5 inches of snow at Montpelier and 8 miles north of Greensburg. Accumulation of wet snow caused small and medium sized tree branches to snap, which fell on power lines resulting in some power outages.
The St. James Parish Emergency Manager reported 3 inches of snow at Grammercy.
The St. Tammany Parish Emergency Manager reported 5 inches of snow near Folsom. One to two inches of snow fell over most of St. Tammany Parish.
Emergency Management reported 1 to 2 inches of snow at Vacherie and Reserve.
Emergency Management reported around 1.5 inches of snow at Gray.
Snow accumulated up to an inch on grassy areas and elevated surface.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Louisiana in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, December 2017
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 730344, 730345, 730348, 730358, 730353, 730357, 730354, 730356, 730343, 730341, 730342, 730346, 730347, 730349, 730350, 730352, 731734, 732270, 732274.