Highest snowfall on record seen in Florida, records broken in Alabama, Louisiana

On By Littum

Upper line

Snowfall records were broken this week in the Gulf Coast states of Texas, Alabama, Florida and Louisiana as an unprecedented winter storm slammed into the region, causing closures, travel disruptions and several deaths, with more extreme weather on the way.

Key facts

Florida was hit by its biggest snowfall in history on Tuesday, as a provisional 8.8 inches was recorded in Milton, north of Pensacola, and breaks the state’s 130 year old record for total snowfall (3 inches of snow fell in Pensacola in 1895).

Up to 9 inches of snow fell in parts of Louisiana, and New Orleans’ 8 inches crushed the city’s previous highest snow total of 2.7 inches set in 1963.

Mobile, Alabama, reported 7.5 inches of snow – breaking the previous record of 3.6 inches from 1973.

In Houston, 3 inches of snow fell on Tuesday to make it the third snowiest day on record, according to the Fox weatherand marks the highest one-day snow total since January 30, 1949.

The storm brought very first blizzard warning for coastal parts of Louisiana and Texas, and governors across the South issued state of emergency declarations.

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Surprising facts

New Orleans, where 8 inches of snow fell this week, has had more snowfall this year than Salt Lake City, which has seen 6 inches this season.

big number

10. Many people have been like that confirmed dead amid the severe winter storm in the South, including three by exposure to the cold and five in a car accident caused by icy roads in South Texas, according to The New York Times.

Key

Thousands of flights have been canceled in the southeast region this week, according to FlightAware. The most affected airports were George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (795 cancellations), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (349) and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (231).

Where could more snow fall?

Up to 3 more inches of snow could fall in south Georgia before noon. 1:00 PM ET Wednesday, the National Weather Service warns, in addition to another inch of snow in northern Florida. Winter storm warnings are still in force in northern Florida, southern Georgia, and southern South Carolina. Parts of Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas are still under extreme cold warnings, and parts of Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana are under freeze warnings. Most of Georgia is affected by a “special weather statement” warning of black ice that brings slick, icy roads.

Key background

This week’s historic winter storm first hit Texasbringing sparse snow and sleet around Austin and San Antonio before intensifying closer to the Gulf of Mexico, bringing snow to Houston and triggering the first-ever blizzard warning for the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and southeast Texas. New Orleans was hit next before the storm continued to move east to affect Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. The storm was caused by a polar vortex, a swirling mass of arctic air normally held in check by the polar jet stream that can break free when the jet stream weakens. Researchers with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has warned that accelerated Arctic warming, also called Arctic amplification, is a major contributor to severe winter weather that is increasing in frequency from the months of October to February. Extreme cold is much more likely to kill people than exposure to extreme heat, and death rates in winter months have been 8-12% higher than non-winter months in the United States for the past several years, according to The Environmental Protection Agency.

Further reading

ForbesGulf Coast blizzard: Houston, New Orleans and southern beaches hit by historic blizzardBy Molly BohannonForbes4 Fascinating Takeaways from The Deep South Winter StormBy Marshall ShepherdForbes3 major concerns with looming deep south winter stormBy Marshall Shepherd