Gulf Coast, southeast US on alert for major winter storm with accumulating snow and ice
Widespread school closures and power outages will be possible this week as a major winter storm with dangerous snow and ice unfolds across the southern United States.
Areas as far south as the Gulf of Mexico could experience wintry precipitation early next week.
Soon after Arctic air expands into the south-central and southeastern United States, a storm will brew along the Texas coast and spread a swath of ice and snow eastward across the Gulf Coast states in the week ahead, AccuWeather meteorologists warn. There is the potential for major travel disruptions, many school closures and perhaps widespread power outages.
Rain and drizzle will first break out along the South Texas coast on Monday. As the moisture expands northward as a storm develops along the coast, areas of freezing rain, sleet and snow will begin to fall over central and northeastern Texas later Monday before becoming primarily snow Monday night into Tuesday.
As the storm takes an eastward path along the upper Gulf coast at first, snow and ice will continue to press eastward.
In Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, ice or a wintry mix will be the primary form of precipitation along Interstate 10. Depending on the storm track, an icy or winter mix can reach parts of northern Florida.
The air to the north of the storm will be very dry, which could result in a sharp northern edge to the snow or flurries or intermittent snow that only brings a small accumulation.
At some point, as the storm nears the Atlantic coast by Tuesday night, it will begin to track farther to the north.
How far north it goes may spare northeastern Florida and part of coastal Georgia from snow. A significant ice storm may unfold for parts of northern Florida and southeastern Georgia.
However, more of a northward track could throw heavy snow across northern Georgia, upstate South Carolina, and western and central North Carolina on Tuesday night and then to the mid-Atlantic coast on Wednesday. The icy or wintry mix zone would extend into coastal areas of the Carolinas in such a more northern track.
Even a light coating of snow can create dangerous conditions in parts of the southern U.S., where ice and snow-melting chemicals and equipment are in short supply. Given the extent of the extreme cold and the risk of roaming blackouts or ice-related power outages, there will be a heightened risk of pipes freezing and breaking. The winter storm and road conditions may also make utility line repair crews' work difficult.
How damaging the storm may be in the Southern states will depend on whether the primary form of precipitation in the ice or mix zone is freezing rain or sleet.
The latter tend not to cling to trees and power lines, while a buildup of freezing rain can create widespread damage to trees and power lines and long-lasting power outages. This storm can produce both forms of icy conditions.
Brief history of southern US winter storms
Houston is no stranger to winter storms. Over the past 130 years, 1-4 inches of snow have accumulated during many storms, including a whopping 19 inches from a single storm in mid-February 1895. That blockbuster storm dropped 1-3 feet of snow in a massive swath and affected many areas farther to the east in the South Central states, including in New Orleans, where about 8 inches of snow piled up. Lafayette, Louisiana, received 14 inches of snow from the same storm. However, there have been many years when it has not snowed at all in Houston or other cities in the central Gulf Coast zone.
Atlanta's biggest storm of note in modern times was 8-10 inches that fell from a late-January storm in 1940. The superstorm of March 1993 brought a little over 4 inches to the city.
In this Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017 file photo, Laura Washington shovels her walk after heavy snow in Kennesaw, Georgia, days after a storm snapped power lines across the region. Metro Atlanta got several inches of snow from the storm, while some areas farther north saw up to a foot of snowfall. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)
In December 2017, a sizable storm brought several inches of snow from parts of southeastern Louisiana to northwestern Georgia, including 4 inches in Birmingham, Alabama.
In recent years, some ice and snow events have been as far southeast as central Florida. In late January 2007, an ice storm glazed many surfaces and shut down roads in the Florida Panhandle. This was the third winter storm in five years that affected the Tallahassee, Florida, area. A mixture of snow, sleet, and freezing rain coated elevated surfaces in the zone from Palm Bay to Kissimmee, Florida.
In recent memory is the snow and deep freeze of February 2021 when up to half of a foot of snow fell on parts of Texas and Louisiana, with temperatures that plunged to 40 degrees below the historical average. Widespread power outages occurred with massive water damage from bursting pipes.
Snow begins to melt on a car in Euless, Texas, on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, following winter storms and prolonged frigid conditions. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
While this storm and the severity of the cold may not be quite as extreme as that of February 2021, similar conditions could occur in some areas as the storm and cold spread farther to the east in the Southern states.
The frequent winter storms and severe cold will create added hardships for those still struggling in the southern Appalachians following the tremendous damage and loss of life from Helene in late September.
It is advised to be prepared for the storm and avoid travel as slippery conditions develop. Grocery stores and gas stations will likely be busy in advance of the storm, as travel is not advised as snow and ice commence next week. Be sure to have cell phones and battery boosters fully charged ahead of the storm.
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