Rare winter storms bring heavy snow across the southern states

NEW ORLEANS (CN) — Record snow fell in New Orleans and Houston Tuesday as a snowstorm of rare size from a polar vortex descended upon the southern U.S., bringing frigid temperatures and heaps of snow from East Texas to the Carolinas.

In New Orleans, what is now thought of as the city’s first blizzard ever Tuesday dumped 9.5 inches of snow, the second highest amount ever recorded in the city. The record of 10 inches is still held by a snowstorm in 1895. Unofficial measurements in the city Tuesday placed some accumulation at 11 inches.

On Tuesday afternoon, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry extended state office closures through Thursday following massive snowfall statewide that closed roads.

In the Broadmoor neighborhood of New Orleans Tuesday, neighbors Andrew Sensi and Allen Villarubia drove a golf cart through the snow-covered, deserted streets with a cord connected to a sled on the back, which their children each took turns on. When the kids were cold and ready for a break, Sensi affixed his snowboard to the cord and pulled Villarubia through the streets.

This was the first significant snowstorm New Orleans has seen in 15 years. Local authorities predicted there will be 4-8 inches of snow in New Orleans by the time the storm lets up at around 6 p.m.

New Orleans sees snow roughly once every ten years, with the record being more than eight inches in February 1895. The same storm dropped a record 20 inches in Houston.

Even while it snows occasionally in the Crescent City, the region is not equipped to handle this type of storm.

In other areas across Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, National Weather Service forecasts predicted a possible 10-12 inches in places.

Baton Rouge saw 8 inches of snow Tuesday, while Lafayette saw 10 inches.

The storm prompted first-of-a-kind blizzard warnings in coastal areas near the Texas-Louisiana border. The storm began with rain, then sleet, then heavy snow and is expected to follow the same though opposite trajectory on its way out later this evening.

Across the Crescent City Tuesday morning, cars and roads, magnolias and banana trees became buried under a blanket of white by 10 a.m. Meanwhile, the city estimated in text alerts that the heaviest snow would come between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., with snow stopping completely sometime after 8 p.m.

Although the snow will let up Tuesday night, temperatures were expected to fall into the low teens and stay low for 40-50 hours, with wind chills in the single digits in some areas.

During a press conference, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry warned that Tuesday’s “winter wonderland” would have a bitterly cold and possibly dangerous end.

“The fun is going to come to a quick end,” Landry said. “Get ready to be dangerously cold.”

Forecasters warned that temperatures in the single and double digits in the coming days could lead to power outages, burst water pipes and other perils.

“These are extremely dangerous temperatures and can quickly lead to hypothermia and/or frostbite for those without adequate warm shelter,” a National Weather Service forecast said.

Temperatures were expected to rise again Thursday beginning at around noon.

The storm shuttered schools and civic offices across the region, with school closures remaining in effect in New Orleans through Friday morning. City offices, airports and roadways across the entire region were also closed. Freeways, including Interstate 10 were closed due to ice on the roadway.

“Stay warm, stay safe and stay off the roads,” the city said in a text Tuesday morning sent to alert residents that the causeway crossing Lake Pontchartrain to the North Shore of New Orleans was closed as well as the Crescent City Connection bridge.

More than 14,000 flights were delayed and over 2,000 had been canceled Tuesday morning, most of them from Houston and New Orleans, according to tracking on FlightAware.com.

In New Orleans, almost every flight in or out of Louis Armstrong Airport was cancelled due to freezing temperatures, ice, freezing fog, wind and snow. The airport was slated to remain open however.

At midday Tuesday, a text alerted residents to stay off the roads: “The number of accidents being reported is increasing,” the message read.

Ahead of the storm, governors in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida declared states of emergency.

This is the first snow in Houston since 2021 when heavy snow knocked out power to millions of residents, resulting in more than 200 deaths, according to meteorologist Hayley Adams at the National Weather Service in Houston.

At the National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama, meteorologist Michael Mugrage said single-day snow totals there and in Pensacola, Florida could break records set in 1895.

“Historically, we have rarely seen this much snow on the Gulf Coast,” Mugrage said, adding that unusual atmospheric conditions allowed the snow to be powdery, rather than wet.

“There is a lot of moisture being pushed northward over us and the layers of air are all completely below freezing, which allows snow to fall throughout the entire event,” he said. Mugrage warned that ice would likely form on the ground overnight and temperatures were likely to stay at or below freezing until Friday, making driving conditions hazardous through the rest of the week.

Parts of the Florida panhandle were already becoming coated in white Tuesday at midday.

“Believe it or not, in the state of Florida we’re mobilizing snowplows, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told the Associated Press.

In Lake Charles, Louisiana, a first-of-its-kind blizzard warning was in effect until midday Tuesday. Strong winds with heavy snow reduced visibility and record-breaking snowfall were expected.

Gabriel Tynes contributed to this report.

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