Rare winter storm paralyzes Gulf Coast with record-breaking snow

A major winter storm slammed the US Gulf Coast Tuesday, blanketing parts of a region largely unaccustomed to extreme winter weather with record-breaking snowfall.

The storm impacted 1,500 miles of the Deep South from the Texas Gulf Coast to the Atlantic coast of the Carolinas, causing widespread closures and travel disruptions, including stranded motorists and thousands of canceled flights.

The storm, along with the brutal cold that helped cause it, is blamed for at least nine deaths.

The snowfall that dazzled Southerners unaccustomed to significant accumulation is over, but the cold is sticking around and keeping slippery conditions in place. Many cities are begging residents to avoid driving as the sun melts snow that then refreezes, increasing the danger on roadways.

New Orleans shattered its modern all-time daily snowfall record on Tuesday, receiving 8 inches of snow, far surpassing the previous record of 2.7 inches. The city has recorded more snowfall this month than Anchorage, Alaska, which has seen nearly two inches in January. The Big Easy typically sees measurable snow only about once per decade.

Other Southern cities also broke long-standing snowfall records:

• Mobile, Alabama, reported 7.5 inches, exceeding the previous 3.6-inch record from 1973.
• Pensacola, Florida, recorded 7.6 inches, surpassing its 2.3-inch record from 1954.
• Milton, Florida, had a preliminary total of 8.8 inches, potentially breaking the state-wide snow record.

Nationwide, at least nine deaths have been reported due to the severe cold affecting large parts of the country and the winter storm. On Tuesday, at least five people died in a vehicle accident caused by icy conditions in Zavala County, Texas, Sheriff Eusevio Salinas told CNN. Four of the victims were ejected from their vehicle as it wrecked on a bridge.

Authorities are also investigating two deaths in Austin as potentially cold-related, though the medical examiner’s office has not confirmed the causes. In Georgia, officials reported one hypothermia-related death, noting the individual had been outside the previous night.

While the wintry storm has had a visceral impact on the Gulf region, below-freezing temperatures are also affecting much of the US. An 80-year-old man in Milwaukee is suspected to have died from hypothermia after falling outdoors early Sunday, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Airports in Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida closed Tuesday due to unprecedented snowfall. Issues from the closures rippled into Wednesday.

More than 1,200 flights have been canceled nationwide as of Wednesday morning, primarily affecting routes to and from Texas and Louisiana, according to FlightAware.

In Mississippi, Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport has closed its terminal and runway until conditions improve. Airports in Mobile, Tallahassee and Jacksonville halted and are aiming to reopen at noon Wednesday.

Key closures include both of Houston’s major airports – George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby – as well as Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, where all flights have been canceled and operations expected to resume Wednesday. Lafayette Regional Airport in Louisiana has also shut down due to icy conditions.

Locally we were battling dry air that kept snow from reaching the ground for the majority of the day around the county and the area. As the sun started to set snow began to reach the ground. Quickly accumulating as the ground is cold from the lengthy cold temperatures we have had around the region. 

Snowfall accumulations around the county have ranged from a dusting to around an inch depending on your location with the higher accumulations along and east of I-85.

By this morning some areas around the county especially west of I-85 woke up to the snow completely gone. This was through a process of sublimation caused by the dry air and low humidity. The snow essentially turned back into water vapor and disappeared overnight. 

The remainder of the week gives us a slow warming trend and drier conditions until our next chance of precipitation comes early Monday of next week.