On Tuesday, January 21st, a rare winter storm hit the Gulf Coast region of the United States, bringing heavy snow, ice, and gusty winds to an area not accustomed to frequent snowfall, while much of the country remained in deep freeze conditions.
As the blizzard moved eastward, workers near Houston were clearing accumulated snow from the highways, while the streets of the downtown area lay covered in a blanket of white, nearly deserted during the morning rush hour.
A local resident told Reuters that having lived in Texas all his life, he had never seen such a large amount of snow before. In Houston, some restaurants and bars remained closed, with few people willing to venture out in the snowy weather. The Houston metro was still operational but with very few passengers.
New Orleans also saw snowfall, with the city expected to accumulate 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow by the end of Monday, possibly breaking a record set in 1895. The last measurable snowfall in the city was reported back in 2009, according to data from the National Weather Service (NWS).
The storm is forecasted to sweep through Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida early this week. The NWS predicts Mobile, Alabama to receive 5 inches of snow, marking the region’s first significant snowfall in over sixty years.
The NWS issued warnings of blizzard conditions in these areas through Tuesday and Wednesday, with blizzard warnings continuing in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana until Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday morning, hundreds of flights in and out of the region’s airports were delayed or canceled. Approximately 960 flights at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston were canceled, according to data from the flight tracking website Flightaware.com.
Temperatures across the region are expected to drop to single digits Fahrenheit on Tuesday, well below freezing. Weather forecasters and local leaders are urging residents to protect themselves from frostbite and take precautions to prevent burst water pipes.
Meteorologists warn that across the southern region, snow accumulation combined with one inch of ice and gusts up to 40 miles per hour may create travel difficulties for highways and airspace for several days, as well as potential power outages due to downed power lines and fallen trees.
According to Poweroutage.us, about 45,000 households and businesses in southeast Texas are without power. Atlanta and Montgomery, Alabama have opened warming centers and closed government offices in response to the storm, with many school districts cancelling classes.
Due to the cold weather, Texas ports and pilot services guiding ships have temporarily suspended some operations on Monday. In the northern regions, much of the eastern United States is experiencing severe cold as the cold front is expected to persist at least until Tuesday.