Four Fatalities Reported as Uncommon Winter Storm Slams US Deep South with Ice and Snow | US News
A significant winter storm has swept across US states from Texas to Virginia, resulting in four fatalities and shattering snowfall records.
The icy conditions have led to closed highways and schools, flight cancellations, and state of emergency declarations from governors.
On Tuesday, temperatures plummeted to -40F (-40C) northwest of Grand Lake, Colorado, in stark contrast to the 83F (28C) recorded in Hollywood, California, as reported by the National Weather Service.
A snowstorm warning currently affects 31 million people, stretching from southern Texas to eastern Georgia and northward into the Carolinas and Virginia.
Snow covers Canal Street in downtown New Orleans. Pic: AP
An additional 172 million people are under cold weather alerts, with temperatures ranging from 20-35F below average.
Four individuals have succumbed to suspected hypothermia, including two in Austin, Texas, one in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and another in Georgia, where temperatures dropped to 16F (-9C) in various areas overnight.
A snowy scene in New Orleans’ French Quarter on Tuesday. Pic: AP
In Louisiana, approximately 10 inches (25 cm) of snow has already fallen in some areas of New Orleans by Tuesday evening, surpassing the previous record of 2.7 inches (6.8 cm) set in 1963.
Snow has not fallen in the city for over a decade.
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Residents attempted to ski along the historic Bourbon Street, while nearby, a priest and nuns joined in a snowball fight.
In Texas, blizzard warnings were issued for several coastal counties near the Texas-Louisiana border, where 6 inches (15 cm) fell in Pine Forest.
In Houston, operations at both major airports and Port Houston – one of the largest ports in the US – were suspended.
Moreover, snow and ice caused approximately 168 vehicular accidents in Harris County, according to local law enforcement.
Snow has blanketed the white-sand beaches of typically sunny vacation destinations such as Alabama and Florida, where snowplows have been deployed.
Road closures have affected parts of Pensacola, Florida. Pic: Tampa Bay Times/AP
Prior to the storm, states of emergency were declared by governors in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.
The icy conditions compelled the closure of airports not only in Texas but also in Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Snowplows are clearing the runway at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. Pic: AP
On Tuesday, there were 2,718 flight cancellations and 20,323 delays reported by Flightaware.com.
Severe winter weather is also affecting the northeastern US, prompting a state of emergency in at least a dozen New York counties, where up to 2 feet (60 cm) of lake-effect snow and extreme cold are expected around Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.
Freezing temperatures even moved inauguration proceedings inside the Capitol’s Rotunda for the commencement of Donald Trump’s second presidency on Monday.
