NEW ORLEANS – A historic and deadly winter storm that stretched over 1,500 miles blanketed the southern U.S. on Tuesday with historic snow totals, including the first-ever Blizzard Warning for the Gulf Coast and possibly record amounts of snow in Florida.
Snow totals hit numbers not seen in generations, if not lifetimes, across the South. Houston saw up to 4 inches of rain, New Orleans had nearly 10 inches, and areas in the Florida Panhandle reported between 5 to 12 inches of rain. Although the snow and ice amounts were low compared to what northern areas usually get, they were still enough to disrupt movement across the region.
A rare winter storm hit southwestern Texas early Tuesday morning, causing a crash that resulted in multiple deaths east of La Pryor, according to officials in Uvalde County.
First responders said that icy conditions made it difficult for them to react to a fatal crash that happened southwest of San Antonio.
Snow traveled through major Texas cities on Tuesday, bringing snow and sleet to Austin and San Antonio before getting stronger in southeastern Texas.
A heavy layer of snow covered the Houston area as temperatures fell into the 20s, with wind making it feel even colder in the teens. Schools and airports were closed, and people were advised to stay home because it was unsafe.
By Tuesday mid-morning, snowfall records were being broken in Louisiana, with many places receiving snow at a rate of one inch per hour. A Blizzard Warning has been given for the first time in areas of the Gulf Coast, which includes southeast Texas and southern Louisiana.
Some areas in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi along the Interstate 10 route received over 7 inches of snow on Tuesday, and the airport in New Orleans reported 8 inches.
And in Ozark, Alabama, officials reported a death from a fatal crash during a time of icy weather on Tuesday.
New Orleans is currently under a Winter Storm Warning for the second time ever. The area received about 8 inches of snow.
Sections of interstates 55, 10, and 12 in Louisiana were closed for part of Tuesday because of dangerous winter weather.
Areas along the Gulf Coast, famous for their beaches and sea activities, were included in the snow globe made by the historic winter storm.
Snow covered the beaches and palm trees from Galveston, Texas, to Biloxi, Mississippi.
The NWS office in Mobile reported that 6.2 inches of snow fell at Mobile Regional Airport, setting a new record for the most snow ever recorded there.
Northwest and Northeast Florida, along with parts of southern Georgia, experienced snow, which resulted in road closures, airport shutdowns, and new records being set.
The Florida Panhandle is experiencing a strange situation, as it is likely to break past weather records for the state.
The official state record shows 4.0 inches of snow, but unofficial reports in the Panhandle say it’s much more. Milton has reported 8.8 inches, and Pensacola Beach has 6.5 inches as of Tuesday evening.
“We thought Blizzard Beach was a theme park in Orlando.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Tuesday that we might see some snow on the beaches in northwest Florida and even in Tallahassee and nearby areas.
The main entry to the Naval Air Station in Pensacola was closed on Tuesday because of icy roads from the storm.
Winter weather closed the Jacksonville International Airport on Tuesday night. Airport officials think it will reopen by noon on Wednesday.
DeSantis mentioned that the state has more than 250 workers from the Department of Transportation and about 200 pieces of heavy equipment ready to help. They have prepped things like deicing chemicals and 11 snowplows.
“Believe it or not, we’re getting snowplows ready in Florida,” he said.
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