A rare winter storm hit the US Gulf Coast on Tuesday, breaking more than a century-old snowfall record in the southern region, where flooding is uncommon as much of the United States remains in a dangerous deep freeze.
As of Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service said blizzard warnings were in effect for 31 million people — from southern Texas to east Georgia and north to the Carolinas and Virginia.
As the storm moved east, crews plowed highways near Houston on Tuesday, while city streets covered in white paint were nearly deserted.
Schools were closed Tuesday and Wednesday as about 10 cm of snow was expected to fall in the US’s fourth-largest city.
“I’ve lived in Texas my whole life and I’ve never seen snow this deep,” said Ishaan Bhaidani, 29, who owns a fintech consulting company in Houston. “It usually gets snowier, but this type of fine snow, this is a first.”
Authorities in Houston are investigating two deaths that may be related to the weather, including the death of a homeless man who was found near an apartment complex, the Harris County Sheriff said on Friday.
Snow was also falling in New Orleans, where about 25 cm of snow had accumulated by the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
NWS meteorologist Richard Bain said the service is trying to confirm whether Tuesday’s snowfall broke the New Orleans record set in 1895.
According to the NWS, the last time New Orleans experienced measurable snowfall was in 2009.
“Stay home and off the roads,” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a video message to residents on the Ax, as winds whipped snow into their faces.
More than 15 cm of snow fell in Mobile, Alabama by late afternoon, breaking a 144-year-old record, according to the NWS.
Hurricanes are expected to hit Mississippi, Georgia and Florida early this week.
The storm caused disruption to air travel and flights were delayed or canceled on Tuesday. According to Flightaware.com, more than 1,000 flights departing or heading to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport were canceled.
Temperatures throughout the region fell into the single digits Fahrenheit, well below zero. Forecasters and local leaders urged residents to take steps to protect themselves from frostbite and prevent their water pipes from breaking.
Across the South, road and air travel could be difficult for several days, with up to an inch of snow accumulation and wind gusts up to 64 kilometers per hour, forecasters said, while there could be a risk of downed power lines and trees. Is.
About 30,000 homes and businesses in Southeast Texas were without power at one point Tuesday, according to Poweroutage.us, but that number dropped to less than 8,000 by late afternoon.
Atlanta, Georgia and Montgomery, Alabama opened warming centers and closed government offices in anticipation of the storm. According to local news, several school districts canceled classes.
Farther north, the eastern two-thirds of the United States experienced extremely cold temperatures as the Arctic front was expected to persist through at least Tuesday.
Grand Lake, Colorado, was the coldest place in the US on Tuesday morning with a temperature of -39 degrees.