Rare Storm Sweeps Through Southern United States, Record-breaking Low Temperatures in Many Areas

This week, a rare winter storm has swept through the southern region of the United States. The National Weather Service announced on Thursday (January 23) that following the blizzard, unprecedented freezing weather will continue, with temperatures in many areas either tying or breaking record lows. It is expected that temperatures will slowly rise from Friday through the weekend.

The National Weather Service described this as an “unprecedented winter storm” that has broken historical snowfall records in multiple southern areas.

In Florida’s Panhandle, Pensacola received 5 inches (12.7 cm) of snow, breaking the record of 3.94 inches (10 cm) set in 1954. New Orleans measured 8 inches (20 cm) of snow, surpassing the 1963 record of 2.67 inches (6.8 cm). Some parts of the Outer Banks in North Carolina saw snow accumulation up to 9 inches (23 cm), while Houston received 4 inches (10 cm) of snow.

Even as temperatures rose above freezing on Wednesday, some areas remained dangerous for travelers as melting snow overnight caused slippery road conditions, posing risks to those unaccustomed to driving in such circumstances.

Meteorologist Richard Hurley at the National Weather Service Forecast Center in College Park, Maryland, stated, “Even as temperatures in these areas rise to the 40s (Fahrenheit) today (Thursday), when they drop back to the 20s (Fahrenheit) on Friday, the melted snow will refreeze.”

He mentioned that on Thursday, temperatures in southern regions tied or broke record lows, with Augusta, Georgia dropping to 16 degrees Fahrenheit (-8.8 degrees Celsius), matching the record set in 1874. Tallahassee, the capital of Florida, hit 21 degrees Fahrenheit (-6.1 degrees Celsius), Mobile, Alabama reached 19 degrees Fahrenheit (-7.22 degrees Celsius), and Gulfport, Mississippi was at 23 degrees Fahrenheit (-5 degrees Celsius). He pointed out that temperatures in these areas typically range in the 60s or 70s Fahrenheit (15.5 or 24 degrees Celsius).

Due to the cold weather, dozens of schools in the southern region were closed, including Florida State University in Tallahassee.

According to tracking website Flightaware.com, a significant number of flights were canceled or delayed due to the storm. As of early Thursday, over 1,200 flights in the United States were affected.

Official reports indicate that at least a dozen people have died in the extreme cold, with at least 7 fatalities reported in Texas, Alabama, and Georgia due to exposure to the cold.

On Tuesday, two traffic accidents in Zavala County, Texas, in the western part of the state, resulted in at least 6 fatalities.