What to know about winter weather
- States in the South and the East are gripped by bitterly cold weather and battling dangerous travel conditions today.
- Arctic air is contributing to a rare winter storm across the South that has dumped almost 10 inches of snow on New Orleans, and continues to cause havoc with snow, sleet and freezing rain as officials are warning residents to stay off the roads.
- Two people in Austin, Texas, are thought to have died from hypothermia, while another death was reported in Georgia and one person died Sunday in Milwaukee, authorities said. On Wednesday a 65-year-old Texas man was killed in a weather-related crash that injured two others, officials said.
- Tens of thousands are without power and major disruptions are expected along the Gulf Coast for days to come due to a lack of snow plows and other cold weather equipment.
- Multiple low temperature records could be broken this week, with the wind chill factor threatening to make it feel like 20 to 30 degrees below zero in parts of the Upper Midwest and the Northeast.
City of Houston says services return to normal tomorrow
Houston Mayor John Whitmire said that all city operations should resume tomorrow.
"We have some work to do, but today we’re prepared to return to normal operations," he said.
Drone footage shows FSU's baseball diamond covered in snow
Florida State University's baseball diamond is hardly visible under a blanket of snow.
The baseball team posted drone footage of the winter whiteout on social media. In the video, several different trails of footprints peppered what appeared to be several inches of snow.
The season is still weeks away: The Seminoles' first home game is Feb. 14 against James Madison University.
NBA, college WBB games postponed or rescheduled
Matchups in the NBA and women's college basketball that were scheduled to take place in southern parts of the country have been postponed due to the weather.
The Milwaukee Bucks will no longer play at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans against the Pelicans tonight, the NBA said in a news release. The game will be rescheduled and the new date will be announced at a later time, the release said.
South Carolina hosting LSU in a rematch of the SEC's women's college basketball title game will now happen on Friday due to travel issues caused by the winter storm. The showdown, originally scheduled for tomorrow, will air at 5:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Coroner in Dale County, Alabama, confirms 2 weather-related deaths
Two people have died from weather-related incidents in Dale County, Alabama, the coroner confirmed to NBC News.
Caleb Green, 37, died in a house fire.
"He was apparently using the stove for heat," the coroner said.
The other death was of a driver who hydroplaned while traveling along U.S. Highway 231 in Ozark and was ejected from the vehicle. The coroner did not provide the driver's name, but said it was a woman.
A total of four people have now died as a result of this winter storm.
Jacksonville airport reopens
Jacksonville International Airport reopened this afternoon. It had closed last night due to the winter weather.
"Travelers are encouraged to check flight status with their airline and for rebooking options," the airplane said in a post on X shortly after noon.
Two Alabama airports to remain closed until tomorrow
Mobile Regional and Mobile International airports in Alabama will remain closed today due to the weather conditions and possibly reopen tomorrow at noon, the Mobile Airport Authority said on X.
"We plan to reopen at noon on Thursday, January 23, if runway conditions allow," it said in the post.
The airports were initially scheduled to reopen today after closing yesterday due to the "winter weather."
The two airports are 15 miles apart and service the Gulf Coast area.
Cars abandoned overnight blocking a road in Gwinnett County, Georgia
Vehicles that were abandoned overnight due to icy road conditions are sitting in the middle of Mink Livsey Road at Harley Beth Drive in Gwinnett County, Georgia, blocking the roadway from being used.
The county announced the blockage on X, asking people to "please make an effort to remove your abandoned vehicles as soon as it is safe to do so."
The county's police department handled about 1,600 calls for service overnight.
Over 100 vehicles stranded in DeKalb County, Georgia
Over 100 vehicles were stranded in DeKalb County, Georgia, after temperatures plummeted leading to icy roadways.
"Residents are strongly urged to avoid travel to prevent further incidents and delays," county officials said in a news release declaring a state of emergency.
Crews were continuing to treat the roadway conditions but said "progress is slow due to the freezing temperatures." County emergency services said they've received hundreds of 911 calls, including one for a pregnant woman who needed to be rescued while en route to the hospital.
"Crews continue to prioritize urgent incidents despite challenging conditions," county officials said.
DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said the situation is "serious."
"We are asking for everyone's patience and cooperation as our teams work around the clock to ensure public safety," he said in a statement. "Staying off the roads is critical — not only for your safety but to allow emergency responders to reach those in need."
Texas man killed, 2 others injured in weather-related crash
A 65-year-old Texas man was killed in a weather-related crash that also injured two others, officials said.
According to a preliminary investigation, a 2018 Toyota Tundra was traveling eastbound and veered into the westbound lane, where it struck a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado head-on, the Texas Department of Public Safety said in a news release.
The driver of the Toyota, James Ball, of Stratford, was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials said the driver did not have a seatbelt on and it appears that he was "traveling at an unsafe speed for the roadway conditions." Texas DPS said it was snowing and there were patches of snow on the road when the crash occurred.
The 36-year-old driver of the Chevrolet and his 44-year-old passenger were both injured in the crash.
Jacksonville closes major bridges because of crash, ice concerns
Several high-traffic bridges across Jacksonville, Florida, are closed because of multiple car crashes and ice concerns, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office announced this morning.
The Main Street, Hart and Mathews bridges will remain closed until further notice, according to the statement. The office said it is "working as quickly as we can with state and local and state partners to get the bridges back open," and reminded Jacksonville residents that the "the safest place to be today is at home!"
The office urged residents to stay off the roads today if they are able to, and noted that it would announce when the bridges are open again as soon as possible.