Winter storm sweeps through the Deep South, bringing icy hazards and snowy enjoyment

A significant storm brought an unexpected mix of heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain across the southern regions of the United States on Wednesday, contributing to both winter hazards and seasonal delight.

The storm stretched from Texas to the Deep South, affecting areas as far down as Florida and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Accumulations of snow and sleet led to icy conditions in major urban centers including New Orleans, Atlanta, and Jacksonville, Florida. In a dramatic turn, the weight of the snowfall caused the dome of the Mobile Civic Center in Alabama to collapse as it was being dismantled to make space for a new entertainment venue.

Tragically, at least eight fatalities have been linked to the storm, fueled by dangerously low temperatures and even harsher wind chills. An influx of Arctic air plunged much of the Midwest and eastern U.S. into frigid conditions, resulting in the cancellation of hundreds of flights. Many government offices remained shuttered, and over a million schoolchildren were home, a stark shift from their typically hurricane-related school closures.

In regions accustomed to severe weather, such as New England, residents adapted in creative ways. Terry Fraser from Cape Cod found herself lacking a snow scraper while visiting her granddaughter in Brunswick, Georgia, so she resorted to using a plastic store discount card to clear the snow and ice from her rental vehicle in a chilly hotel parking lot. “This is what we do up north when you don’t have a scraper,” she noted, humorously acknowledging the creativity required for such weather.

In Tallahassee, the Holmes family woke early to take advantage of a snow-covered slope before it melted away. Nine-year-old Layla and 12-year-old Rawley utilized a boogie board and a skimboard for their sledding, with their mom, Alicia Holmes, cheering, “Gotta get creative in Florida!”

New Orleans recorded a remarkable 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow, a total that surpassed the amount Anchorage, Alaska, has seen since December. A jest from the National Weather Service office in Anchorage noted, “We’d like our snow back,” playfully asking for some King Cake in exchange. Interestingly, it was warmer in Anchorage on Wednesday morning than in cities like New Orleans, Atlanta, Jacksonville, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

The bitter cold and wind chills are predicted to linger into Thursday morning in southern areas, with frost persisting through the weekend. Meanwhile, a warming trend is expected with temperatures likely to rise above freezing again in places such as New Orleans and parts of the coasts by Friday.

Additionally, the severe weather forced the closure of several highways, including significant stretches of Interstate 10, particularly the elevated roads and bridges over Louisiana’s bayous. “Louisiana, if you can, just hang in there,” urged Gov. Jeff Landry, warning that what began as a “magical” snow day could quickly turn hazardous. In Charleston, South Carolina, it took crews nearly 16 hours to clear one lane of the sprawling 2.5-mile Ravenel Bridge, a major artery that supports around 100,000 vehicles daily.

The icy conditions created challenges for drivers in Georgia, with law enforcement responding to over 1,000 assistance requests. Some adventurous residents opted to convert the slopes of the Ravenel Bridge into makeshift sledding runs. Meanwhile, children on the Outer Banks made the most of the conditions, sledding down snow-covered dunes, while adults navigated through high snow drifts near historical sites. The unusual weather even led to the suspension of ferry services between barrier islands.

“This kind of snow happens maybe once every ten years,” remarked Ryan Thibodeau, who co-owns a vacation rental company in the area. The storm marked the first-ever blizzard warnings for some coastal locations in Texas and Louisiana, even dusting the typically sunny beaches of Gulf Shores in Alabama and Pensacola Beach in Florida. South Carolina saw its sand transformed into snowy hills, providing creative opportunities for sledding with everyday items.

In various parts of the South, inventive sledding tools included laundry baskets in Montgomery, Alabama, pool tubes in Houston, and even kayaks along the snow-covered levees of Louisiana. Amid these unique adaptations, a car was spotted pulling a skier down a street in Pensacola, while nuns in Metairie, Louisiana, playfully engaged in snowball fights with a priest.

As the storm unfolded, close to 2,000 flights were canceled and another 2,300 were delayed. The immense demand for heating led the Tennessee Valley Authority and PJM Interconnection to supply power to millions, although over 100,000 customers were still without service by Wednesday morning. Tragically, five individuals died in Texas due to icy road collisions, while two fatalities were reported in Austin from cold exposure. Georgia saw one death attributed to hypothermia as well. The storm also affected numerous sports schedules, leading to several postponements.

Despite these severe winter conditions in the southern U.S., the broader picture shows a trend of global warming. In Southern California, where devastating fires have impacted communities, dry conditions worsened by climate change are concerning officials. Even as parts of the United States face unusually cold weather, the globe is simultaneously experiencing record heat levels. January 2025 has thus far recorded the hottest first couple of weeks of the year, surpassing last year’s figures.

In total, U.S. weather patterns have recorded a total of 697 daily lows and 629 daily highs of record temperatures this year alone. Over the past year, the data indicates a predominance of heat records compared to cold. Scientists are observing an increase in occurrences of cold air outbreaks but clarify that this does not equate to a general cooling trend. They suspect the warming Arctic may be affecting the jet stream and polar vortex, allowing cold air to migrate further south than usual.