As a rare winter storm sweeps across the southern United States, it has brought heavy snow and ice to regions from San Antonio and Houston, Texas, stretching all the way to New Orleans and beyond into parts of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. This extraordinary event, while not unprecedented, has seen measurable snow south of Interstate 10 along the Gulf coast only a few times in recorded history.
State of emergency declarations have been issued in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi as the storm wreaks havoc, forcing schools to close and businesses to shut down due to the treacherous snowy conditions. The unexpected rumble of thundersnow near Lafayette, Louisiana, added a surreal touch to the winter wonderland that Tuesday morning brought. With approximately 7 inches of snow already blanketing the city, it’s a scene that residents are not accustomed to witnessing.
Tragically, the storm has turned deadly, claiming lives in a crash on Highway 57 near Batesville, Texas, amidst the hazardous snowy and icy roads. The scene, about 80 miles southwest of San Antonio, was reported to have seen “several fatalities” by WOAI. The intensification of the storm along the Gulf coast prompted the issuance of a blizzard warning for southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas, including the coastline. Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell noted that this was the first blizzard warning ever issued along the Gulf Coast of the United States.
The definition of a blizzard, marked by winds of at least 35 mph and snow severely limiting visibility to less than a quarter mile for at least three consecutive hours, was met as the storm raged on. The arrival of snow in Pensacola, Florida, covering parts of Interstate 10 in the Florida Panhandle, added to the astonishing sight of snow in typically warm locales.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport witnessed a rapid accumulation of 3 inches of snow in just two hours on Tuesday, surpassing any snowstorm the city has experienced since at least 1948. While New Orleans has seen heavy snowstorms in the past, including a record-breaking 14.4-inch snowfall in 1909, measurable snow had not fallen in the city since 2009.
Other areas along the Gulf Coast have also seen rare snowfalls in recent years, with Gulfport, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida, receiving around an inch of snow in 2014. Savannah, Georgia, last experienced 1.2 inches of snow in 2018, highlighting the infrequency of such wintry events in these regions.
Anticipated heavy snowfall is forecasted from eastern Texas through the eastern Florida Panhandle, with accumulations ranging from 3 to 6 inches and localized areas potentially receiving up to 14 inches. A separate band of snow is expected to impact the Outer Banks of North Carolina, with totals also reaching 3 to 6 inches.
The city of Houston, typically bustling with activity, transformed into a “ghost
