Snow falls in Houston and New Orleans as rare storm sweeps Gulf Coast

While snow from today’s rare winter storm in New Orleans was expected to die down this evening, what’s already on the ground is expected to linger and continue to make driving difficult, a city official said.

“We’re concerned about the next two days,” said Collin M. Arnold, director of the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

Wind chill values for the city are forecast to be as low as 12 degrees tomorrow, the National Weather Service said. Around 6 inches of snow has fallen, Arnold said at a news briefing.

“The continued temperatures being below freezing over the next day and a half, the snow that we have is not really going to go anywhere — and, in fact, probably start to become, you know, ice,” Arnold said. “And so that could be very difficult for our roadways.”

New Orleans Public Schools will remain closed tomorrow and Thursday, the district said.

Aerial video taken from above Hermann Park in Houston shows dozens of people sledding and snowboarding.

“Do not travel,” the National Weather Service in Atlanta warned Georgians today amid the winter storm that is making conditions treacherous.

Snow is expected to end this evening, but cold weather will mean there is no chance for road conditions to improve by tomorrow morning, the agency warned.

A winter storm warning remained in effect for the Atlanta area until 7 a.m.

And a cold weather advisory, warning of wind chills as cold as 2 degrees to 10 degrees, will start at 10 tonight and remain in effect until 9 a.m., the weather service said.

Two people died in Austin, Texas, from what officials believe was hypothermia, a spokesperson for the city’s EMS service said.

The medical examiner’s office will determine the causes of death, but “all signs point to hypothermia,” the spokesperson said.

The first death occurred after a patient was reported shortly after noon yesterday, and the second happened this morning after a call about a cardiac arrest.

There have been about 168 crashes involving vehicles in Harris County, Texas, since 10 o’clock last night as the Houston area was hit by a rare winter snowstorm, the sheriff said today.

No deaths were reported. One person sustained a broken leg today when they got out to push their stalled vehicle and were hit by another vehicle that was unable to stop, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.

“It just speaks to the dangerousness of being out in the roadways,” he said at a news conference.

The Houston area got snow and ice, and the police department urged people to stay off the roads and be extra cautious.

The historic Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, which has launched countless Navy aviators into the skies, closed its main gate today to incoming and outgoing vehicle traffic.

Commanders shut down "both inbound and outbound traffic due to hazardous road conditions across the bridge leading to the air station brought on by Winter Storm Enzo," the base said in a statement this afternoon.

The base has been a hub for aviation training since before World War I.

Houston’s airports, closed today because of the bitter cold and snow, will reopen tomorrow with the first arrivals at 10 a.m., a spokesperson for the airports said.

TSA lines will be open at 9 a.m., and the first departing flight is scheduled for 11 a.m.

The snow has stopped falling in Houston, but all that slush and snow will refreeze tonight, the National Weather Service said. People were cautioned to be careful and limit time outdoors.

About 46 million people were living under winter weather alerts this afternoon as snow and rain pounded much of the South, from Texas to Virginia.

Another 172 million people are under cold alerts, enduring temperatures 20 to 35 degrees below average throughout wide swaths of the country, including the South, the Great Plains, the Midwest and the interior Northeast.

Low temperatures will drop into the single digits and teens across much of the Ohio Valley and the mid-Atlantic into tonight.

The University of Florida announced the closing of the Gainesville campus because of winter weather and the potential for icy roads. It will be closed from midnight tonight until 12:30 p.m. tomorrow. 

Classes are set to resume with the 12:50 p.m. period, and employees are expected to return to work at 12:30 p.m., UF announced.

The P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School will close at 6 p.m. today and tomorrow, with plans to reopen Thursday. Baby Gator child care services will also be closed tomorrow. Florida Fresh Dining will remain open.

UF Health clinical operations will continue as scheduled. Employees and personnel outside of Alachua County are advised to follow local government closure guidelines.

A vehicle usually associated with cruising through the swampy waters of the bayou was recorded today doing tricks in a snowy patch of land in Louisiana.

The clip, posted to X, was recorded in Charenton, about 50 miles southeast of Lafayette.

Port Houston, one of the largest ports in the United States for waterborne shipping, announced all of its facilities will be closed today and tomorrow because of winter weather conditions.

“We potentially will resume vessel operations at the container terminals on Wednesday evening, if conditions allow,” the shipping port said in a notice.

Port Houston has committed to opening gates on Saturday to assist customers.

“The safety of our team and users remains our top priority. We continue to monitor conditions and will provide another update Wednesday around Noon,” it said.

The rare winter storm continues to cross the Southeast this afternoon, producing whiteout conditions and 1 inch-per-hour snowfall rates. Totals as of 2 p.m. ET include:

• 10.5 inches in Rayne, Louisiana
• 7.5 inches in Lafayette, Louisiana
• 6.0 inches in Pine Forest, Texas
• 6.0 inches in Lake Charles, Louisiana
• 5.2 inches in Beaumont, Texas
• 4.0 inches in New Orleans
• 3.0 inches in Houston

Florida's Jacksonville International Airport joins several other Southern airports that will be temporarily closed because of winter weather conditions.

The airport will close after the last scheduled departure at about 8 p.m., with plans to reopen at 12 p.m. tomorrow.

“Travelers are encouraged to check flight status with their airlines for the most up-to-date information about their itineraries and for rebooking options,” it said on X.

New Orleans residents woke to a historic sight today as the Gulf Coast city was blanketed with snow in the rare winter storm sweeping across the South.

Iconic locations in the normally sweltering city from Bourbon Street to the Superdome were covered in inches of snow.

Severe winter weather is also pummeling the Northeast. Mayor Chris Scanlon declared a state of emergency for Buffalo, New York, today in response to a severe lake-effect snowstorm.

“My top priority is the safety of our residents, and our emergency response team is actively monitoring the storm while working closely with local and state agencies to respond effectively to this severe weather event,” Scanlon said on X. “I urge all residents to stay indoors if possible and follow all emergency directives.”

The Buffalo Common Council also issued a travel advisory on X, citing deteriorating weather conditions, including blowing and drifting snow and poor visibility.

The advisory announced the closing of the Buffalo Skyway, a major bridge and elevated roadway that connects downtown Buffalo with the northern end of the Buffalo Harbor.

The heavy snow and dangerous cold gipping much of the South forced the closure of airports throughout the region Tuesday.

The Tallahassee International Airport will be down at 3 p.m. EST, with plans to reopen at noon Wednesday.

George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) suspended flights out of Houston, it announced a little before 8:30 a.m. CST. Hobby (HOB), Houston's other major airport, shut down commercial flying at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

Several other airports in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi were also forced to close Tuesday due to cold and icy conditions.

The official X account of the city of Houston posted video today of its emergency personnel engaging in a playful snowball fight amid the rare winter storm.

"Some of our @HoustonFire and @houstonpolice first responders are enjoying the snow between calls," the caption said. "Please continue to stay off the roads, and stay warm and safe at home."

A major Alabama community along the Gulf of Mexico told residents to stay off all roads and bridges as a historic cold snap plagues the region.

All travel outside "should be suspended or delayed," according to the Mobile County Emergency Management Agency, spelling the word IMPASSABLE in all caps.

A host of schools and other government services had already been closed before this roads advisory was issued.

Texas energy officials voiced optimism today that they'll be able to keep the lights on and heaters blasting, as bone-chilling conditions crossed the Lone Star State.

As of 11:15 a.m. CST time, "the grid continues to have sufficient resources to meet demand," according to a statement by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the independent operator that provides power across the state.

ERCOT was little known outside Texas before a winter storm in 2021 nearly collapsed the grid and paralyzed the state.

Video from Mandeville, a city in Louisiana on the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain, shows the rare sight of "sneaux" piling up in this Gulf Coast community.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged his constituents to be careful and steer clear of this "winter wonderland" that's blasting the Sunshine State.

"I don’t have to tell anybody that we’re not necessarily used to walking in a winter wonderland here in Florida," DeSantis told reporters Tuesday in Tallahassee. "This is atypical weather for our region, even northern Florida."

Some regions of the state could get up to 6 inches of snow, according to DeSantis.

Photos capture the unusual sight of snow falling in Texas, as the historic winter storm drops what could be a record of up to 6 inches in Houston.

Although the conditions are dangerous, especially for drivers, many Houstonians took the opportunity to enjoy the rare weather for sledding and other winter fun.

A key New Orleans thoroughfare was shut down Tuesday because of icy conditions and poor visibility, officials said.

The New Orleans Causeway is "closed until further notice" according to a message blasted out by the NOLA Ready Emergency Alert System that urged Big Easy residents to stay "warm, stay safe and stay off the roads."

The bridge had already been limited on Monday night before Tuesday's full closure.

Infrared satellite imagery from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows just how cold things are back on Earth.

"An example of how cold it is," the National Weather Service wrote on X. "Satellite is confused with what’s clouds and what’s the ground."

First responders were at the scene of a major accident involving "several fatalities" due to icy roads outside of La Pryor, Texas, about 100 miles west of San Antonio.

The accident happened early this morning on Highway 57 between La Pryor and Batesville, Uvalde County Constable Emmanuel Zamora wrote on Facebook, closing the highway for several hours. The scene was cleared and the highway was reopened at 3:23 a.m. local time.

"Medical helicopter could not respond to assist due to weather. Prayers for all involved," Zamora said.

Weather forecasters and public agencies issued health and power loss warnings Tuesday as a “rare winter storm“ gripped parts of the southern and eastern United States.

“A bitterly cold airmass will remain in place for much of the South and eastern U.S. over the next couple of days,” the National Weather Service said early Tuesday in a forecast as it advised the public about the prospect of heavy snow, freezing rain and a “significant winter storm.”

Several states have declared emergencies, with temperatures expected to be 20 to 30 degrees below the January average for most locations, forecasters said. The mercury is set to dip to single-digits in some part of the Midwest.

“Many record lows are possible Wednesday morning, especially along the Gulf Coast and into the Tennessee Valley,” the weather service said.

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