Winter Storm Pummels the South
A rare winter storm pummeled the South on Tuesday, smashing snow records from Texas to Florida and leaving behind dangerous road conditions and power outages.
The National Weather Service called the snowstorm a once in a generation weather event, with New Orleans having not seen measurable snowfall since 2009. It has been 35 years for Jacksonville, and the weather service in Houston said it was the most significant winter storm in the area since at least 1960.
The storm's impact will be felt for days in Southern cities not accustomed to the deep freeze that has gripped most of the nation this week. More than 130,000 homes and businesses were without power Wednesday across Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.
Snowfall Totals in Southern States
Here's how much snow the southern states saw from the winter storm:
Florida:
In Florida, the Pensacola area broke the state's 130-year-old record for total snowfall. The National Weather Service reported at least 5 inches in Pensacola and 8.8 inches in Milton, both breaking the previous Florida record of 4 inches set in 1954.
Alabama:
In Alabama, 7.5 inches fell in Mobile, where such accumulations have not been seen in more than 60 years, according to the weather service.
Some areas east and south of Mobile, such as Spanish Fort and Silverhill, saw as much as 9.5 inches of snow.
Louisiana:
Louisiana, which saw its first-ever blizzard warning, saw areas such as Lafayette get as much as 10 inches of snow, according to the weather service.
New Orleans International Airport recorded 8 inches of snow, triple the previous record set more than 60 years ago, the National Weather Service reported.
Texas:
The storm began its march Tuesday in Texas, blanketing highways and snarling traffic before making its way east. Schools were closed Wednesday in the Houston-Galveston area, where up to 6 inches of snow fell.
Georgia:
Some areas of southwest Georgia, such as Blakely and Camilla, reported as much as 8 inches of snow, according to the NWS. The Atlanta area reported about an inch of snow.
Carolinas:
The eastern portion of North Carolina saw several inches of snow, with areas around Wilmington seeing as much as 5 inches, according to the weather service.
The Raleigh-Durham area saw between 1-2 inches, while the Charlotte area saw less than an inch, according to reports gathered by the NWS.
The South Carolina coast also saw snowfall, with Myrtle Beach and the surrounding area seeing around 5 inches as well.
Conclusion
The winter storm that pummeled the South this week was a rare and significant weather event. The snowfall totals shattered records in several states, and the storm's impact will be felt for days to come.
