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As we found out again this year, in south Louisiana we are more likely to have a White Valentine’s Day than a White Christmas. Records show that most of our substantial snowfalls over the last century or so have been in February.
This year’s snow began on the day after Valentine’s Day, but the cold snap that preceded it — and lingered way too long afterward — was here well in time to freeze creamy chocolates and wilt red roses.
But that’s not the first time it’s happened. The snowfall that set still-standing records in south Louisiana began on Valentine’s Day 1895.
The official form submitted to the National Weather Service by the weather observer in Lafayette for February 1895 carries this note:
“Snow began falling on the night of the 13th — stopped before daylight — began again about 6:30 a.m. on the 14th and kept it up until about 10 o’clock a.m. on the 15th — about 14 inches of snowfall.”
The Crowley Signal of Feb. 16, 1895, had a long account of what happened when the snow came to Acadia Parish.
“At sunrise possibly an inch of snow had fallen here but the heavens gave every indication of a large reserve supply. By nine o’clock the blizzard was in full force and continued to rage all day and well into the night. For a little time yesterday morning the sun was visible through the mist, but by nine o’clock it had disappeared. … This was the heaviest snow for [this area] of which there is any record.”
The New Orleans Daily Picayune of Feb.15 reported, “There was not a sled, nor a snow plow, nor a sleigh in New Orleans day before yesterday. But improvised sleds and sleighs have been made and the uncommon sight of them in the streets called forth cheers from the pedestrians. … Drifts measured from 10 inches to one foot.”
The Baton Rouge Advocate reported on the 15th that “snow on our office gallery at 6 o’clock this morning was 10 inches, the deepest ever seen in this city.”
In Thibodaux, the Weekly Sentinel reported, “Beginning Wednesday night, February 13, snow began to fall around midnight and by noon of the next day had accumulated to a depth of 12 inches.”
According to the Opelousas Courier “On Wednesday night, shortly after 9 o’clock, it began snowing, and when the good people of Opelousas opened their eyes on Thursday morning the whole face of nature was covered with a white mantle two or three inches thick.
The snow fell all day without the least intermission giving the town quite an Arctic appearance.”
My grandfather, who was 14 years old in 1895, recalled that he sank to his knees in the snow accumulated in his front yard in Lake Charles.
That’s entirely likely.
According to the old records Lake Charles got 22 inches of Valentine’s Day snow that year.
Some skeptics say those old records are not completely reliable, but I think they are entirely believable given the press reports from across the state.
According to those same documents, the 1895 storm still holds the all-time record for snow in a single community. That’s 24 inches that fell not in Shreveport or Monroe, nor any place in the frigid north, but down here in the balmy south in Rayne.
A collection of Jim Bradshaw’s columns, “Cajuns and Other Characters,” is now available from Pelican Publishing. You can contact him at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

NEW ORLEANS – More than 900 Louisiana National Guardsmen remain activated to assist with pandemic operations, to include helping administer the COVID-19 vaccine to residents of the state, Feb. 9, 2021.
Soldiers and airmen are assisting local health authorities by supporting vaccine sites across the state in order to speed up distribution of the vaccine.
 Dr. John Vanchiere, chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at LSU Health-Shreveport and the director of Community Outreach for Testing and Vaccination Program, said, “The LANG is integral to our partnership in making this successful. They are assisting us with the logistics at all of our sites with not just traffic control but helping us get patients registered and really keeping things safe, orderly and moving properly and efficiently.”
 To date, the LANG has completed 87 hot-shot delivery missions, transporting 1,169 vials of the COVID vaccine.
 “We are partnered with the Louisiana Department of Health,” said Capt. Alisha Mahfouz, 159th Fighter Wing. “There are a lot of enthusiastic people all around who are working long and hard hours to make these missions, possible and get as many people vaccinated as we can.”
 The LANG also continues to support 18 open medical test sites and 8 open food banks throughout the state, totaling 356,550 administered COVID tests.
 “We’ve worked with the National Guard since the beginning of COVID on testing, and it’s been a fantastic partnership,” said Dr. Jennifer Avegno, director of the New Orleans Health Department. “We’re really excited to get it rolled out again now with vaccines.”
 Since the spring of 2020, the LANG has packaged 23.7 million pounds of food while operating at eight food banks throughout the state. handed out 58.6 million PPE while completing 4,936 delivery missions.

Patterson Garden Club donated money to adaptive physical education teacher Evelyn Ortiz, right, for her classes at Patterson Junior High School and Patterson High School. Her classes at both schools will plant vegetable gardens and tend to them during this semester. On hand for the presentation were members Donna Bates-Ruffin, left, and Evelyn Estay.

DEAR ABBY: I recently had a child with a man who is now incarcerated. I was widowed when I met him, and although he brought me happiness, it has come at a steep price.
I pay for literally everything. I love him very much, but his entitlement was an issue even before he had legal issues. Now he has become very nasty and minimizes everything I do.
If I send $100, he’s upset that I didn’t send $200. If I have a day off from work that I don’t spend communicating with a lawyer and the courts, I’m “not taking initiative.” He has even gone so far as to say it was my fault he got in trouble because I was on his case so often that he “had to go out to get some peace.” His only redeeming quality is his wonderful relationship with the kids, who see none of our fights and regard him as a father figure.
He is now even more negative and derogatory than when he was at home. I manage a busy restaurant and a household of five children. Since he has been away, I’m ashamed to say life has actually been less stressful.
I think my loneliness when I met him made it easier to ignore red flags. In every other aspect of my life, I am an independent woman who has the respect of my peers.
Is it too late to set boundaries with him?
GROWING IN FLORIDA

DEAR GROWING: This emotionally abusive individual is milking you like you are a Guernsey cow. His ingratitude is boundless.
You are not the reason he got himself in trouble with the law, and it isn’t your responsibility to get him out or support him financially.
It is way too late to set boundaries with this manipulative ingrate. He won’t change.
What you must do now — for your own sake and for your children’s — is tell him you are finished and cut ties with him.

DEAR ABBY: I live in Kansas and my boyfriend lives in another state. We talk online all the time, but I haven’t heard from him in three days and I don’t know what to think.
My friends say I’m being paranoid, but I can’t help but think that he might be seeing another girl. I’ve had problems like this before and ended up getting hurt because I didn’t listen when my friends told me that a guy was cheating.
What should I do?
LONG-DISTANCE LOVE

DEAR L.D.L.: Recognize that as much as two people might care about each other, long-distance romances don’t always have fairytale endings. I don’t know if your boyfriend is cheating. Neither do you and neither do your friends.
It’s time for you to have a calm conversation with your boyfriend. Tell him you were worried by his three-day silence because it was unusual. Let him respond.
If you are satisfied with his answer, change the subject. However, if you aren’t, ASK him if he has met someone closer to home and tell him to level with you.
It takes courage to do this, but it will save you a lot of pain in the long run.
***
To receive a collection of Abby’s most memorable — and most frequently requested — poems and essays, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 to: Dear Abby — Keepers Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.