The historic winter storm is expected to bring rare heavy snow and ice to states along the Gulf Coast, potentially impacting up to 55 million people by midweek, officials said. national forecast.
Houston, Baton Rouge, New Orleans and other cities in the Deep South are preparing for the storm. Houston has already closed its main airport and plans to suspend flight operations starting midnight Tuesday as the governors of Florida and Louisiana declare preemptive states of emergency.
State leaders are advising residents to do everything they can to prepare for the unusually severe weather.
“It's very important that you stay off the roads,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said at a news conference. “Unless you absolutely have to go out, please stay home and stay warm.”
Landry declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, but he wasn't the only one to do so. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also declared a state of emergency in the Sunshine State.
Forecasters say Louisiana could receive unexpected levels of snow, up to 6 inches. Even New Orleans is under a winter storm warning, something not seen since the city experienced record snowfall in 2009. 13 Current news.
Texas could see up to 6 inches of the white stuff, and other states along the Gulf Coast could see nearly 4 inches of dust.
Interstate 10, which connects New Orleans to the Florida Panhandle, will receive moderate snowfall Monday night. Tallahassee and Jacksonville will also see some ice, but no heavy snow is expected.
Most cities along the Gulf Coast are less equipped to handle heavy snow than those in the Northeast, so states are doing everything they can to stockpile supplies.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development said it has 400,000 pounds of salt available to spread on roads and bridges to melt snow and ice. WDSU6. State officials also have plans in place for road closures if necessary.
Forecasters said the storm's remnants could trickle north, causing freezing rain along the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
Even after the main storm passes, more snow and heavy rain could hit the Florida peninsula later this week off the Atlantic coast.
About 55 million people are advised to batten down their hatches, while another 214 million people from southern Texas to central Florida are under cold weather warnings. Forecasters say they have all been warned that temperatures in their areas will be 20 to 40 degrees below normal.
The sudden drop in temperatures is expected to bring sub-zero temperatures for more than a day in many parts of the South, potentially causing damage ranging from burst pipes to cracked roads.
Impending temperatures could set cold records in Missouri, Texas, Louisiana and Alabama.
The current record low temperature in Louisiana is -16 degrees Fahrenheit, which was recorded in February 1899. business insider.
