A powerful winter storm that battered Texas and dumped record snowfall across the northern Gulf Coast moved eastward overnight, bringing heavy snow and freezing rain to parts of the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, and the eastern Carolinas.
Around 40 million people, mostly in the southern U.S., were under various weather warnings, including over 21 million under a winter storm warning, said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Maryland.
Chenard added that about 170 million people across the U.S., from the Rockies to the East Coast, were facing extreme weather alerts or cold weather advisories.
Snow covered the white-sand beaches of normally sunny vacation spots, including Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Pensacola Beach, Florida.
At least four weather-related deaths have been reported so far.
In Austin, Texas, two people died from the extreme cold, according to city officials. Similarly, two fatalities were confirmed in Dale County, Alabama, the county coroner’s office stated, reported CBS News.
Areas Affected, Emergency Declarations, Flight Disruptions
The storm has severely disrupted travel, with more than 2,300 flight cancellations across the U.S. on Tuesday, according to FlightAware.com. Both Houston airports suspended operations, and nearly every flight was canceled at New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport, according to AP report.
In Florida, large cities, including Jacksonville, are experiencing snow, sleet, and accumulating ice, with more expected through Wednesday. The Jacksonville International Airport shutdown on Tuesday evening.
“We are expecting some winter weather we’re not used to in Northeast Florida,” the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook. “The safest place you can be Tuesday night and Wednesday is at home!”
All airlines are expected to resume services on Wednesday.
In Southern California, where wildfires have already killed at least 27 people and destroyed thousands of homes, dry conditions and strong Santa Ana winds continue to pose a significant threat.
The winter weather closed highways, grounded flights, and canceled school for more than a million students—many of whom are more accustomed to hurricane-related school closures than snow days.
Major highways have also been shut down, and authorities are urging people to stay off the roads.
In eastern North Carolina, up to 8 inches (20.3 cm) of snow was expected, with near-blizzard conditions in the Outer Banks.
A state of emergency has been declared in at least a dozen counties in New York due to lake-effect snow and extreme cold. Areas around Lake Ontario and Lake Erie could receive up to 2 feet (60 cm) of snow through Wednesday.
Record Snowfall And Historical Context
This storm has brought record-breaking snowfall to several areas, according to the National Weather Service.
According to the Florida Climate Center, it’s been 32 years since the 1993 “superstorm” brought up to 4 inches of snow to the Florida Panhandle.
Prior to that, the Milton Experimental Station recorded a historic snowfall 71 years ago; when Santa Rosa County set Florida’s all-time 24-hour snowfall record with 4 inches, on March 6, 1954.
Meanwhile, in New Orleans in Louisiana, snowflakes fell for the first time in over a decade, with some areas receiving up to 10 inches (25 cm), far surpassing the city’s previous record of 2.7 inches (6.8 cm) set in December 1963.
“Wow, what a snow day!,” the weather agency said in a social media post. “It’s safe to say this was a historic snowfall for much of the area.”
“We’ve had tons of hurricane days but never a snow day,” high school teacher David Delio said.
The storm also set a new record for snowfall in Mobile, Alabama, where 5.4 inches (13.7 cm) fell, breaking the city’s previous one-day snowfall record of 5 inches (12.7 cm) from 1881. Mobile is now nearing its all-time snowfall record of 6 inches (15.5 cm), set in 1895.
