Historic winter storm claims 10 lives across U.S. Gulf Coast, shatters snowfall records
A rare and historic winter storm swept through the southeastern U.S. over the past two days, leaving at least 10 people dead and shattering snowfall records across the region.
Frozen roads in New Orleans. Image credit: Charles Peek
- The winter storm has claimed 10 lives across the southeastern United States, with fatalities caused by hypothermia, vehicle crashes on icy roads, and a house fire linked to efforts to stay warm.
- Record-breaking snowfall was recorded in New Orleans for the first time in 15 years; 20.3 cm (8 inches) and in Pensacola, Florida; 12.7 cm (5 inches), surpassing century-old records set by the 1895 Gulf Storm.
- Hazardous conditions, including black ice and frozen roads, have led to the closure of major highways, including a 105 km (65 miles) stretch of Interstate 10 in Florida’s western Panhandle.
A rare and historic winter storm sweeping through the southeastern United States has claimed 10 lives so far, with at least three fatalities attributed to extreme cold.
Two people were reported dead in Dale County, Alabama, according to county Coroner John Cawley.
A 27-year-old woman died after her vehicle lost control on a road in Ozark due to snow accumulations and crashed into another vehicle. Another man in Pinckard died after his house caught fire while he was attempting to warm the home using a stove.
Five people died in a vehicle crash on an icy road in Zavala County, Texas, on Tuesday morning, January 21, according to Emmanuel Zamora, a constable from neighboring Uvalde County.
In Georgia, cold conditions have set in across the Atlanta area, where at least one person has died from hypothermia, officials said. In Austin, Texas, at least two people have also died due to the cold.
The storm brought historic snowfall to New Orleans, where 20.3 cm (8 inches) of snow was recorded at New Orleans International Airport. This broke the previous record of 6.9 cm (2.7 inches) set in 1963. This marked the first snowfall in New Orleans in 15 years, making it an extremely rare occurrence.
Unofficial reports indicate that 20 – 28 cm (8 – 11 inches) of snow fell in some parts of the New Orleans metropolitan area. Videos shared online showed sections of roads in New Orleans completely frozen as a result of the storm.
The storm brought record-breaking snowfall to much of the Gulf Coast.
In Milton, Florida, a preliminary total of 22.4 cm (8.8 inches) was recorded, more than doubling the state’s previous 24-hour snowfall record. The previous record, also set in Milton, was 10.2 cm (4 inches) on March 6, 1954.
Pensacola, Florida, also set a new all-time record with 19.3 cm (7.6 inches) of snowfall, breaking the previous record of 7.6 cm (3 inches) set by the 1895 Gulf Storm. Meanwhile, in Mobile, Alabama, snowfall reached 19 cm (7.5 inches), setting new all-time records for both single-day and two-day snowfall totals.
Mobile, Alabama, recorded 15.7 cm (6.2 inches) of snow, breaking its previous record of 15.2 cm (6 inches), also set during the 1895 Gulf Storm.
In New Orleans, Louisiana, snowfall reached 20 cm (8 inches), making it the biggest snowstorm in the city’s modern history, dating back to 1948. This also marks the snowiest day for New Orleans in over a century, surpassing the previous record of 6.9 cm (2.7 inches).
Travel conditions remain extremely dangerous across the southeastern United States due to the storm. The Mississippi Department of Transportation warned residents on Tuesday night that black ice—dangerously slick patches that develop almost invisibly on asphalt—was likely to form on highways in the southern parts of the state.
Multiple crashes and other storm-related incidents are being reported across the southeast
The Florida Department of Transportation shut down a 105-km (65-mile) stretch of Interstate 10 in the western Panhandle on Tuesday, citing “hazardous winter weather conditions.”
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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