A historic January storm brought unusual snowfall to the U.S. Gulf Coast, leaving cities like Houston and New Orleans nearly paralyzed. Parts of northern Florida, southern Georgia, and southeast South Carolina saw an additional 4 inches of snow, sleet, and freezing rain on Wednesday. Milton, Florida, may have broken its all-time snowfall record with 9 inches, while Tallahassee faced lows of 4°F (-15°C), a rare chill for the state.
New Orleans saw 10 inches of snow, turning Bourbon Street white, while Houston experienced its largest snowfall since 1960 with 4 inches. Without snow plows or shovels, residents improvised, with children sledding on kayaks and inner tubes.
The storm claimed at least 12 lives, including five in a Texas car crash and others due to cold exposure in Alabama, Georgia, and Austin, Texas. Around 20 million people remained under winter weather warnings, with officials cautioning against frostbite, hypothermia, and hazardous road travel.
Power outages affected over 90,000 homes and businesses across Texas, Georgia, and Florida. Schools and government offices were closed, while icy roads and canceled flights disrupted daily life. Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental and Dallas-Fort Worth airports were temporarily shut, with over 2,600 flights canceled or delayed nationwide.
The storm forced Texas-based Freeport LNG to halt operations, citing power supply issues. Meanwhile, temperatures as low as -27°F (-32°C) were recorded in Davis, West Virginia. As the snow subsided, the frigid air was expected to linger through the weekend, prolonging disruptions across the region.
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