Residents of San Antonio enjoying the historic snowfall of 1985.
January 12, 1985, marked a historic day as San Antonio experienced its heaviest snowfall, with 13.2 inches blanketing the city. The weather event not only created chaos on the roads but also brought the community together for snow-filled fun and memories. The storm remains a significant chapter in the region’s weather history, celebrated by locals every January.
It’s been 40 years since a remarkable weather event painted San Antonio in a blanket of white! January 12, 1985, marked the day when the city recorded an astonishing 13.2 inches of snow, making it the heaviest snowfall documented in San Antonio’s history. It wasn’t just a light dusting but a full-on snow day that left the locals talking about it for years to come!
The snowstorm began making waves in Del Rio between 7:30 and 9 p.m. on January 11, moving gracefully toward San Antonio and arriving by 11:35 p.m. The combination of two cold fronts that rolled through South Texas on January 10 and 11, along with a low-pressure system from the southwest, created a perfect storm of conditions that produced this rare snowfall. When the icy air met the high moisture streaming in from the tropics, it was like nature decided to give San Antonio the winter wonderland treat!
To put things into perspective, the previous record for snowfall was a measly 6.4 inches set in 1926, which the 1985 storm completely shattered. Adding to the extraordinary event, another 0.3 inches accumulated during the wee morning hours of January 13, bringing the total to 13.5 inches! It was a snowstorm that literally stopped the city in its tracks for a whole three days.
What happens when a city unaccustomed to snow gets buried under it? Absolute chaos! The snowfall led to numerous vehicle accidents, with over 100 reported during this unprecedented storm. Roads became more like ice rinks, and traffic ground to a halt. For the first time in San Antonio’s history, graders were repurposed as snowplows to help clear the airport runways. But the snow was no joke; some buildings couldn’t handle the weight and saw carports and old roofs collapse!
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