Roughly 40 million people from Texas to the Carolinas are under winter weather alerts as a rare winter storm brings potentially historic snowfall to cities unused to harsh, cold weather.
A historic storm is underway, with snow falling over parts of southeast Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, creating treacherous conditions. An area stretching from Houston into southern Louisiana has already recorded 1 to 2 inches of snow, with more on the way. A record amount of snow is forecast for New Orleans and other cities along the Gulf Coast.
An unprecedented blizzard warning has been issued for parts of southern Louisiana and far eastern Texas, with heavy snow and strong wind gusts combining to create whiteout conditions. The National Weather Service has issued a warning for the first-ever blizzard warning anywhere along the Gulf Coast.
Widespread closures have been reported, with large sections of Interstate 10, the Gulf Coast’s major thoroughfare, closed in Texas and Louisiana due to snow and icy mix. Schools and government offices are closed throughout the Gulf Coast and states of emergency are active in Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi.
Brutally cold temperatures are allowing an incredibly unusual storm to unfold along the Gulf Coast. Snow and an icy mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain are expected to expand throughout the morning, with roads overnight and Tuesday expected to be “extremely hazardous if not impossible for much of the area, and travel is highly discouraged.”
The complex mess of wintry weather will spread east to reach more of Mississippi and into Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and the western Florida Panhandle throughout the day. Tuesday’s snowfall could break records last set decades ago and possibly rival records from the late 1800s.
Air and road travel has been halted, with hundreds of flights cancelled and schools shut down. Officials in affected states have cautioned people to stay off the roads, keep faucets dripping to prevent pipes from freezing, and refrain from using cooking stoves to heat homes. Governors in Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi have declared states of emergency, while Texas authorities have directed state agencies to mobilize resources for the rare snowfall.