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Millions across the Gulf Coast states will continue to be adversely affected by a rare winter storm moving along the northern Gulf of Mexico. The storm has spread dangerous snow and ice along 1,000 miles of Interstate 10 from central Texas to northern Florida and will go on to the coastal areas of Georgia and the Carolinas, AccuWeather meteorologists warn. The storm threatens to shut down travel for days and cut power for an extended period in part of the region.
An unprecedented blizzard warning was issued from the upper Texas coast to part of the Louisiana coast for a time on Tuesday. Blizzard conditions occur when the visibility is one-quarter of a mile or less in snow or blowing snow with winds of 35 mph or greater for at least three consecutive hours. The storm has shut down roads and airports along the Gulf coast, including in the Houston and New Orleans areas.
For parts of the western and northern Gulf coast, this could end up being the biggest snow and ice storm in more than 100 years and possibly one that many people may remember for decades.
The storm has ended over Texas as of the midday hours on Tuesday with less than an inch of snow and sleet in Austin and San Antonio. However, up to 4 inches of snow fell around the Houston area with greater amounts toward the Golden Triangle to the northeast of the city. Cities along I-10 from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle resembled the northern Plains amidst a windswept snowstorm, rather than the typical conditions the upper Gulf coast is known for. Snowfall will continue to ramp up along a portion of the I-95 corridor from Georgia to the Carolinas through Tuesday night.
The major southern United States cities of Austin and Houston, Texas; New Orleans, Lake Charles and Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Biloxi, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida, were already blasted by the rare winter storm. Next in the winter storm's aim were Savannah and Macon, Georgia; Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Wilmington to Raleigh, North Carolina. Portions of the Jacksonville, Florida, area can expect a significant amount of ice.
Dry, Arctic air pushing well to the south is forcing the storm and its wintry precipitation to hug the Gulf Coast of the U.S., which rarely experiences even flurries, let alone several inches of snow like the storm is set on delivering.
"This will be a rare and especially dangerous winter storm right along the upper Gulf Coast that will result in major and lengthy disruptions to travel," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said.
The last time New Orleans experienced more than a few snowflakes was 15 years ago in December 2009. Since 1948, enough snow to measure has only fallen eight times. This could be the biggest storm in a lifetime for the New Orleans area, as well as much of southern Louisiana and the central Gulf coast. The all-time single storm snowfall for New Orleans is 8.2 inches from Feb. 14-15, 1895.
This radar image was captured at 2 p.m. CST on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Snow is blue, rain is green and purple is ice. (AccuWeather)
The last time there was enough snow to measure in Jacksonville, Florida, was during the Christmas week storm of 1989. Nearly 2 inches of snow fell during the event.
Snow in Houston is uncommon but not nearly as rare as that of New Orleans and Jacksonville. Houston's last snowfall was in February 2021, during the mega freeze that brought up to half a foot of snow from parts of Texas to portions of northern and central Louisiana and Mississippi.
The biggest snowstorm on record in the now-I-10 corridor was the blockbuster storm more than 100 years ago, from Feb. 14-15, 1895, which dumped a whopping 6-20 inches of snow along the Texas and Louisiana coasts. That storm dumped 19 inches of snow on Houston.
A swath of 1-6 inches of snow with locally higher amounts will extend from just inland of the upper Texas coast to the Carolina coast. An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 14 inches is most likely near and just north of Interstate 10.
"Travel will be dangerous or impossible for hours to days after the storm along vast stretches of the I-10 corridor," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
"It's not too often a storm with snow passes Atlanta by to the south, but that is how this southern U.S. storm is shaping up," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Larson said.
With this storm setup, heavy snow will tend to hug the Gulf and southern East coasts. Still, it could deliver spotty snow showers and slippery travel as far north as parts of the Jackson, Mississippi, Birmingham, Alabama, Atlanta, and Charlotte metro areas.
In part of north-central Florida, just enough cold air may sneak in to cause rain to change to snow or rain to begin to freeze on elevated and exposed surfaces, especially from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning.
A significant ice storm is possible near and west of Jacksonville and in part of southern Georgia, as well as in part of South Texas from Corpus Christi to Victoria and Laredo.
The key will be whether the precipitation is mostly sleet or snow rather than freezing rain. Sleet and, to some extent, snow will fall off trees and power lines, while freezing rain and wet snow can weigh trees down to the point of destruction, taking power lines with them.
The southern U.S. is ill-equipped to handle such winter storms. Many highways, in addition to I-10, could be shut down for an extended period. Officials in part of the I-10 corridor were urging motorists to stay off the roads.
Snow and ice can stay on the ground for days during subfreezing temperatures, or where daytime temperatures rise above freezing but drop below 32 degrees at night, new patches of ice may develop.
Schools could be closed for days, and some businesses could take a while to reopen.
Bitterly cold conditions in the wake of the storm can bring a rare concern to people in the Southern states– the risk of frostbite and hypothermia to those not properly dressed or without heat.
"The electrical grid in the central and eastern U.S. may be stressed as hundreds of millions reach to turn up the heat," Porter said.
The frigid conditions can cause great hardship for households and businesses where the power is out for extended periods. Porter added, "The subfreezing air may cause pipes in unheated areas to burst and cause tremendous water damage."
The track of the storm will spare the I-20 and I-40 corridors from snow and ice, but cities from Dallas to Shreveport, Louisiana, and Memphis, Tennessee, will be deep in the Arctic air with the same risks of bursting pipes.
"People, especially in the southern U.S., directly affected by this winter storm will be dealing with lots of disruptions to everyday life," Porter said.
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