A National Weather Service office in Louisiana issued its first-ever blizzard warning on Tuesday amid snow and strong winds.

A blizzard warning was in effect for parts of southern Louisiana on Tuesday, January 21, as a winter storm was forecast to bring up to 6 inches of snow and winds up to 35 mph to parts of the state. Chad Casey captured this footage showing snow whipping around the city of Lake Charles on Tuesday,

Snow has started to fall in Southwest Louisiana as Winter Storm Enzo brings an Arctic chill through the south.

Louisiana residents young and old raced outside Tuesday to enjoy an extremely rare snow day, celebrating the chance to pull out their gloves, scarves and hats from the back of their closets as they hurried to play in the several inches of snow that poured down across the state.

The cold temperatures are coming from a not uncommon expansion in the Polar Vortex, which are counter-clockwise rotating air currents that typically hang over the Arctic.

Snow flurries are continuing to rain down in Louisiana as inches of snow pile up on the ground across the state, already exceeding some previous predictions for the maximum amounts

According to DOTD, de-icing efforts are starting in the Lafayette and Lake Charles area. Crews will then work east as progress is made on the roads.

So far, Winter Storm Enzo has dropped nearly 2 inches of snow on Lake Charles, Louisiana. One resident shared video to X of the snow blanketing her backyard and her generator before dawn. All of Louisiana’s southern parishes declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm’s arrival.

For the first time in the history of the National Weather Service, a Blizzard Warning has been issued for Beaumont, Lake Charles and Lafayette.