A snowstorm for the record books covered Houston, New Orleans, and many other towns and cities across the southern United States on Tuesday, breaking snowfall records that have stood for over 100 years. At least nine people have died across the central and eastern United States, including a crash near Batesville, Texas, amid icy conditions that caused five fatalities.
All-time snow records were preliminarily set at most weather stations on the central Gulf Coast, including New Orleans; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida. A state of emergency was declared in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi, with schools across the region closed and businesses shut down due to the snowstorm.
The storm brought rare blizzard-like conditions to the Gulf Coast, with a blizzard warning issued for southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas. Snow arrived in the Florida Panhandle early Tuesday afternoon, covering beaches and stretches of Interstate 10. By the time the storm was over, the state of Florida had broken its all-time snow record for any storm, with 9.8 inches at Milton, located in the Florida Panhandle.
Many roads were closed, including parts of I-10 and I-55 in Louisiana. In New Orleans, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport recorded 3 inches of snow in just two hours, with a total of 8 inches, more snow than any snowstorm in the city since at least 1948. The storm also brought unprecedented snow to the Gulf Coast, with the highest-reported snowfall at 11 inches near Babbie, Alabama.
The storm’s impact was widespread, with AccuWeather estimating total damage and economic loss at $14-$17 billion. The storm’s effects will be felt for days to come, with businesses forced to shut down and supply chains disrupted. As one storm chaser described the situation, “This is a lifetime event, something they’ll probably remember for the rest of their lives.”