Shreveport Ice Storm History: Events That Shut Down the Region

Does Shreveport have a history of getting hit by ice storms? Not really. But there have been some big ones over the years. Some of them were snow storms and others involved ice. Some of these storms brought bitterly cold temps into the single digits.

Check out the data from the Weather Channel about some of the history of winter ice storms in the Shreveport Bossier area since 2000.

December 25–26, 2000 (The Christmas Ice Storm)

Impact: A devastating freezing rain event struck the ArkLaTex, creating a narrow 20-mile zone of extreme icing.

Damage: Widespread power outages occurred; in Texarkana, residents lost power, telephone, and water services. Ice accumulations reached up to 1 inch in some areas.

Context: This is often ranked alongside the 1951 and 1994 storms as one of the most severe in state history.

(Photo by Julie Denesha/Getty Images)

February 11–20, 2021 (The "Deep Freeze")

Records: Shreveport recorded a record low of 1°F on February 16, shattering the previous 1903 record of 20°F. The region saw 5 to 6 inches of snow and significant ice.

Impact: The prolonged cold caused a city-wide water crisis in Shreveport due to frozen and burst water mains, leading to a mandatory boil advisory.

Casualties: The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed at least five storm-related deaths statewide, including cases of hypothermia and carbon monoxide poisoning from improper generator use.

January 31 – February 2, 2023

Impact: A major ice storm (unofficially named Winter Storm Mara) brought heavy freezing rain and sleet to the Southern U.S., including Northwest Louisiana.

Damage: Across the multi-state region, over 530,000 power outages were reported. Travel was paralyzed as major interstates, including I-10 and I-30, were shut down due to numerous accidents.

The Weather Channel has also compiled some of the data about winter storms dating prior to 2000.

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December 31, 1946 – January 5, 1947

Extent: Northern Louisiana into Mississippi.

Details: Freezing rain caused widespread damage to trees, power, and communication lines. Nationally, this "glaze storm" left approximately 100,000 people without power.

January 29, 1951 – February 3, 1951

Extent: Western coastal Louisiana and northern regions (excluding the far north).

Details: Heavy icing was accompanied by thunderstorm winds. This storm is considered one of the costliest on record for the region, leaving up to 2 inches of ice on trees and wires. In some areas, sleet froze into a solid four-inch layer that remained on the ground for ten days.

February 29, 1960 – March 2, 1960

Extent: Northern Louisiana.

Details: The storm damaged timber, trees, and utility lines. It was described as the most severe ice storm in memory for parts of Alabama, which was part of the same weather system.

January 25, 1961 – January 29, 1961

Extent: Half of Louisiana, extending from the Gulf Coast.

Details: Freezing rain led to significant damage to trees and communication infrastructure.

December 20, 1963 – December 24, 1963

Extent: Northwest Louisiana.

Details: Damaged trees and power lines. This period was marked by a major Arctic outbreak along the Gulf Coast, with temperatures in Baton Rouge staying below freezing for several days and recording 3.5 inches of snow.

January 5, 1973 – January 13, 1973

Extent: Northern Louisiana and into southern Arkansas.

Details: Outages lasted up to two days. The storm’s impact in Louisiana was compared to a hurricane.

December 23, 1973 – January 14, 1974

Extent: Northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas.

Details: Characterized by high winds that caused frequent wire breaks. Outages in the broader region lasted for several days.

January 11, 1982 – January 14, 1982

Extent: Northern Louisiana.

Details: This was the worst ice storm since 1973 for the area, leaving some towns without water and disrupting cable TV. Significant accumulations of 1 to 2 inches of a wintry mix occurred along and north of I-10.

November 26, 1983 – December 8, 1983

Extent: Northwest Louisiana northeast across Arkansas.

Details: Many residents were left without water or heat. Locations north of I-10 remained below freezing for a record 111–115 consecutive hours.

This was the year the Red River froze over.

January 1, 1988 – January 11, 1988

Extent: West-central Louisiana.

Details: Outages lasted up to three days, making it the worst winter storm in the area since 1983.

February 1, 1989 – February 8, 1989

Extent: Northwest Louisiana.

Details: Accumulations reached up to 2 inches of ice.

February 9, 1994 – February 11, 1994

Extent: Northwest Louisiana.

Details: Northern Louisiana was hard hit, with over 100,000 customers losing power and 256,000 acres of forest damaged. This was considered the worst ice storm for the state since 1983.