'The Night Before Christmas' ... in Southeast Texas

An image of Christmas morning following the snowfall of Dec. 24, 2004 along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Being from Texas, even though this will be my third winter in Indiana, it still amazes me.

Other than one special night, the most I had seen snow was a few occasions with flurries that would melt as soon as they hit the ground.

However, Dec. 24, 2004 was an historic night, just not in my life, but for millions of others along the Texas Gulf Coast.

On that incredible Christmas Eve, about 3 inches of snow fell on my hometown, which is just east of Houston.

Yes, I know that doesn't sound like too much here, but the storm brought the most significant amount of snow to the area since 1895.

However, as one would move to the southwest, there were some incredible totals:

* El Campo, Texas -- 11 inches,

* Alice, Texas -- 11 inches, and

* Victoria, Texas -- 13 inches.

Even Brownsville, Texas, which is at the southern tip of the state essentially on the border of Mexico, had 1.5 inches of snow.

It was the first recorded White Christmas in the history of Houston, and snow was even reported over the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

My family and I were at a friend's house for a Cajun dinner, as had become a Christmas Eve tradition, when the snow began to fall.

We all slowly made our way outside with looks of amazement and disbelief on our faces, but soon everyone was laughing and throwing snowballs at each other.

Personally, I enjoyed seeing the looks on my parents' faces as they became little kids again. They grew up in Indianapolis, but it had been more than 20 years since they had seen a true snowfall.

For one night, millions of people along the Gulf Coast also became little kids, and with the rarity of the event, it is something they will tell their children, grandchildren and even their great-grandchildren about.