��˾��������

A on Jan. 2 mesmerized the Acadiana region, including the ��˾��������.

According to weather reports, the storm blew in 10 inches — the most the area has seen in 130 years, when what is now UL ��˾��������’s campus was acres of farmland. The accumulation ranked second only to the record 14 inches that fell in 1895.

��˾�������� also reached a record low temperature of 4 degrees the following morning. This chill beat the city’s last record of 6 degrees in 1899.

UL ��˾�������� students to take full advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Throughout campus, students gathered to hurl snowballs at each other and revel in the type of winter weather they’d expect to see on a ski trip.

“Seeing the snow was an amazing experience,” said Roberto Salazar, a doctoral student. “Coming from Venezuela, I’ve never seen snow, so this was really special.”

The snow covered roads and bridges throughout the city, making driving dangerous. Resident hall students took advantage of the snow day to forge across a campus completely transformed by the snow blanketed across rooftops. Students made makeshift sleds out of plastic bin lids and ventured to Girard Park to dive down its hilly terrain.

“The snow was beautiful, but my favorite part was everyone playing in the snow,” Moses Fanguy, a junior, said. “When I went to Girard Park, my friends and I felt like kids again. I’ve never seen that many college students outside and interacting with one another.

Students living on campus received email alerts from the University before the storm and were prepared to hunker down and stock up on water and supplies.

“I called my mom to check in with my family back home,” Karlie Dufrene, a junior, said. “I had a great time experiencing the snow with my friends, but I was sad that I couldn’t see it with my family.”

Campus’ other residents, the alligators in Cypress Lake, also weathered the storm in their natural habitat. Thankfully, they are biologically equipped to withstand cold.

Much like hibernation, alligators go through “brumation,” where they don’t fall into a deep sleep but instead decrease their activity and metabolism. During ��˾��������’s week of snow, the alligators stayed submerged in the lake with their snouts peeking out to breathe periodically. 

Photo caption: UL ��˾�������� students enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime snowfall across campus. Photo credit: Doug Dugas and Paul Kieu / ��˾�������� 

RELATED

.

.

.