A rare winter storm swept across the southern US yesterday, bringing record-breaking snowfall to multiple states along the Gulf Coast and prompting first-ever blizzard warnings in areas like Lake Charles, Louisiana. As of this writing, at least 10 people have died from exposure to the cold or crashes on icy roads.
The highest snowfall total recorded was 10.5 inches in Rayne, Louisiana, a modern-day record (though the area may have received 20 inches in 1895). New Orleans received its biggest snowfall based on modern records; and both Pensacola, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama, shattered 130-year records. The storm caused widespread travel disruptions, with airports in Houston halting operations and more than 2,200 flights canceled across the country. States of emergency have been declared in Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi as the region battles dangerous travel conditions and power outages.
Winter weather events in the region are rare, typically occurring only once or twice per generation, and require a specific meteorological combination: an Arctic jet stream positioned over the Plains and a low-pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico. See one-day snowfall records by US county here.
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