As a “rare winter storm” hit parts of the southern and eastern United States on Tuesday, health and power outage warnings were sent out by the government and weather experts.
“A bitterly cold airmass will remain in place for much of the South and eastern U.S. over the next couple of days,” the National Weather Service said in an early Tuesday morning prediction. The forecast also warned of heavy snow, freezing rain, and a “significant winter storm.”
Forecasters say that temperatures will be 20 to 30 degrees below the January average in most places. Several states have declared emergencies. In some parts of the Midwest, it will get down to single digits.
“Many record lows are possible Wednesday morning, especially along the Gulf Coast and into the Tennessee Valley,” the weather agency said.
Because of the possibly historic storm, officials have sent out warnings that are more common in the North. People have been told not to go anywhere, to make sure their cars are ready for winter, and to keep their pipes from freezing.
Officials also said there could be “long-lasting power outages” and ice buildup that could cause trees and power lines to fall. In south and southeast Texas, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas warned of a transmission emergency.
When Arctic air and a low pressure system meet along the Gulf Coast, where hard winters don’t happen very often, they could cause a “historic snowfall,” according to the weather service.
Up to 6 inches of snow is expected in Houston and New Orleans. Further east, in Georgia, the Carolinas, and northern Florida, freezing rain, sleet, and snow are all predicted. Up to 4 inches of snow could fall in some places in Alabama and southwest Georgia.
The weather service said, “Cover exposed skin to lower your risk of frostbite or hypothermia.” They also said that storms could cause flights to be canceled and “major highway and air traffic disruptions, including possible road closures” that could last for days.
Houston is already seeing sleet and snow showers, the weather service said in a post on X. Tuesday, it got as cold as 25 degrees north of the Houston metro area.
The George Bush Intercontinental Airport and the Hobby Airport, which are both in Houston, stopped accepting flights at midnight. FlightAware says that as of early Tuesday morning, more than 1,800 flights in the U.S. had been canceled and almost 400 were delayed.
Gov. Jeff Landry of Louisiana told people not to go outside after declaring an emergency in his state on Saturday.
At a news gathering on Monday, he said, “It is very important to stay off the road.” “Stay home and stay warm unless you have to be on the road right now.”
The Louisiana Transport Department said that the state has 400 pounds of salt that it could help spread on highways to melt snow and ice if needed. Officials are also making plans for when roads might have to be closed.
State of emergencies have also been issued by the governors of Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama.
There are also cold weather warnings for the Midwest. In some parts of Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas, the weather service has issued a “extreme cold weather warning,” which means that temperatures could drop as low as 30 degrees below zero.
Similar weather is also coming to parts of the Northeast, like New York, where it could get as cold as 25 degrees.
In some parts of the Rockies, the northern Plains, and the Upper Midwest, the wind chill will make it feel like -55 degrees. Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama could set new records for the coldest temperatures ever recorded.
“Dangerously cold wind chills as low as 25 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes,” the agency said.
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