Major southern winter storm threatens all-time snow records
A major winter storm is brewing for the U.S. Gulf Coast as a powerful blast of Arctic air sinks south this week
A powerful and potentially historic winter storm is brewing across sections of the southern United States that often go entire decades without witnessing a single snowflake.
Winter storm watches are in effect for New Orleans, La., where folks in the Big Easy could see more snow than they’ve ever recorded there in living memory. Snow and ice could even fall across portions of northern Florida.
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Major storm brewing
The same surge of Arctic air spilling across Canada this weekend will dive deep into the heart of the U.S. heading into the beginning of next week.
The lobe of the polar vortex responsible for the chill will help kickstart a low-pressure system over central Texas that’ll track east across the northern Gulf Coast through Monday and Tuesday.
Bitterly cold air to the north and plenty of Gulf moisture from the south will create the perfect setup for a rare winter storm from south-central Texas through the eastern Carolinas, including much of the northern Gulf Coast and sections of northern Florida.
Small changes in the track of the storm will have a big impact on what type of precipitation falls on communities in the storm's path.
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Measurable snows are possible across numerous major southern cities, including New Orleans, La.; Mobile, Ala.; Savannah, Ga.; Charleston, S.C.; and Wilmington, N.C.
This isn’t likely to be an all-snow event for many locations, especially close to the coast and in northern Florida. Wintry precipitation near the coast may include a significant amount of ice pellets and freezing rain in some locations.
Ice accretion from freezing rain is possible across parts of northern Florida, potentially including Pensacola, Tallahassee, and Gainesville. It’s extremely rare for ice or snow to fall in these areas.
Historic snowfall totals possible
It’s no surprise that winter weather isn’t a common sight across the U.S. Deep South.
The U.S. National Weather Service advised in a winter storm watch for the city that the Interstate 10 corridor could see 10-20 cm (4-8 in.) of snow from this system between Monday night and Tuesday night.
If the forecast verifies, this event could more than double the biggest snowfall ever recorded in New Orleans in living memory.
New Orleans International Airport has recorded measurable snow only twice since 1990—1.2 cm fell in Dec. 2004, then an even lighter dusting five years later in Dec. 2009. The airport’s largest snowfall was 6.9 cm that fell on Dec. 31, 1963. You’d have to go back to the 1800s to find a bigger storm.
Relatively big snows are uncommon across the Gulf Coast. The most snow ever observed in Houston, Tex., was 11 cm back on Feb. 12, 1960. Tallahassee, Fla., recorded 7 cm of snow during an unusual storm on Feb. 12, 1958.
Even folks in Tampa, Fla., have seen a burst of wintry weather exactly once in the city’s recorded history. A major cold snap that hit the state brought 0.5 cm of snow to Tampa on Jan. 19, 1977—a freak event that sent flurries as far south as the Miami metro area.
Winter storms are a major ordeal in the south
This will be a high-impact event for the southern U.S. Expect treacherous road conditions anywhere expecting wintry precipitation. Flight delays and cancellations are likely throughout the region.
Drivers here largely aren’t equipped with the skills or experience necessary to handle snow or ice on the roads. Vehicles don’t have winter tires, and people generally have no need to own snow shovels, snow brushes, or even ice scrapers.
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Many municipalities across the Deep South have little to no snow removal or road treatment equipment on hand to deal with light amounts of snow or ice—let alone the amounts that could fall in the coming days.
Trees in northern Florida affected by recent hurricanes may be particularly vulnerable to the weight of any ice accretion. Widespread power outages are possible.
