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January 20–22, 2025 Gulf Coast blizzard

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January 20–22, 2025 Gulf Coast blizzard
A map showing over 1,400 weather reports on January 21
Meteorological history
FormedJanuary 20, 2025
Exited landJanuary 22, 2025
Blizzard
Lowest pressure1008 hPa (mbar); 29.77 inHg
Maximum snowfall or ice accretionSnowfall – 13.4 in (34 cm) near Grand Coteau, Louisiana
Ice – 0.25 in (6.4 mm) in Hebbronville, Texas
Overall effects
Fatalities13
Damage> $500 million
Areas affectedU.S. Gulf Coast, Southeast
Power outages>77,000
Part of the 2024–25 North American winter

The January 20–22, 2025 Gulf Coast blizzard was an unusually strong winter storm and blizzard that impacted the Gulf Coast of the United States. It brought snowfall to regions of the Gulf Coast that rarely receive wintry precipitation. This was the first recorded blizzard on the Gulf Coast and the most significant winter storm in the region since 1895. The storm originated from an area of low pressure that developed in the western Gulf of Mexico along an Arctic cold front on January 20. It moved eastward and dropped large amounts of winter precipitation along the coastlines before it moved offshore on January 22. The storm was unofficially nicknamed Winter Storm Enzo by The Weather Channel.

Due to the threat of heavy snowfall in cities such as New Orleans, Houston, and Pensacola, states of emergencies were declared in almost every state along the Gulf Coast. During the height of the storm on January 21, a blizzard warning was issued for the coastline of Louisiana, farther south than any such warning had previously been issued. Thousands of scheduled airline flights were postponed or cancelled across the Gulf Coast due to the storm. Snow accumulations ranged from 6–12 inches (15–30 cm) across the coast, and the states of Louisiana and Florida recorded their largest single-day snowfall across the state, breaking records that had stood for almost a century. At least 77,000 people lost power due to the storm, with most of the outages being reported in Louisiana and Florida. At least 13 people have been killed as a result of the storm, and financial losses are estimated to be at least US$500 million.[1][2]

Meteorological history

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Early on January 21, a low pressure area was located in the western Gulf of Mexico, connected to a cold front. Fueled by an Arctic cold front moving through the southern United States, the low produced an area of snowfall, sleet, and freezing rain across the U.S. Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida. The Weather Prediction Center described it as an "impactful, rare winter storm".[3]

Preparations and impact

[edit]
Warnings issued by NWS Lake Charles due to the storm
 Blizzard Warning
 Winter Storm Warning
 Winter Weather Advisory
 Freeze Warning
 Gale warning
 Small Craft Advisory

Texas

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Ahead of the storm, state agencies mobilized resources in advance of the winter weather.[4] Airports near Houston, Texas halted their flights on January 19 due to the storm.[5][6] The Electric Reliability Council of Texas said they had made preparations in order to avoid a situation similar to the 2021 crisis.[7] Houston Mayor John Whitmire said crews had begun pre-treating roadways ahead of the storm.[8]

Snowfall in eastern New Caney, Texas during 12 p.m. on January 21.

Freezing rain and snow took place in the Houston area which had started on the evening of January 20 and continued into January 21, with up to 6 inches (15 cm) of snow falling near La Porte and up to 0.18 inches (4.6 mm) of freezing rain falling near League City.[9][10] "Multiple" people were killed in a multi-car pileup in southwestern Texas.[11] Space Center Houston was closed during the storm, including all tours on the ground.[11] Many major roadways in Houston had snow and ice accumulation on them by early morning on January 21, which led to dozens of road closures.[11] Two more people died, one in a crash on January 19 in Harris County after her car collided head-on with a tractor trailer and a homeless man was found dead the following morning in Katy.[12] An estimated 1,100 people stayed at county-run shelters during the winter storm. The majority of flights from Houston airports were cancelled, rendering them unavailable.[12] Beaumont set an all time monthly record low of 11 °F (−11.7 °C) for January.[13] The National Weather Service Lake Charles, Louisiana also issued a Blizzard Warning for Orange and Jefferson Counties including Beaumont, Orange and Port Arthur cities.

Louisiana

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Blizzard conditions in Carlyss, Louisiana on January 21

For the first time on record, the National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for parts of southwestern Louisiana, covering Vermillion, Jefferson Davis, Acadia, Cameron, Lafayette and Calcasieu parishes, due to heavy snowfall and winds exceeding 35 mph (56 km/h).[14] Snowfall totaled 13.4 in (34.0 cm) near Grand Coteau, the highest total recorded from the storm.[15] Elsewhere, snowfall totaled 11.5 in (29.2 cm) near Chalmette, and nearby, New Orleans recorded up to 10 in (25.4 cm), Baton Rouge recorded 7.6 in (19.3 cm) of snowfall, beating the one day snowfall record from February 1895 at 6.5 in (16.5 cm).[16][17] New record low temperatures were set in Jennings, New Roads, Lafayette, New Iberia at 7 °F (−13.9 °C), 4 °F (−15.6 °C), 4 °F (−15.6 °C) and 2 °F (−16.7 °C) respectively. Baton Rouge and Lake Charles also set a monthly all time record low of 7 °F (−13.9 °C) and 6 °F (−14.4 °C) for January respectively.[13][18][19]

The heavy snowfall and icy conditions led to the closure of major highways, including I-10, causing significant disruptions to transportation.[20] Most flights in and out of Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport were cancelled as well.[12] The game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks on January 22 at Smoothie King Center was postponed.[21] The snow and ice caused disruptions in education as schools around the state were closed for up to 3 days [22]

Mississippi

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Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport was closed due to the snow on January 21.[23] Up to 9 in (23 cm) of snow fell in Ocean Springs, which would break the Jackson County record if verified.[24]

Alabama

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Snowfall in Babbie reached 11 in (28 cm), while Mobile Regional Airport recorded 7.5 in (19 cm) of snowfall.[16] This broke the most snowfall in the latter city, breaking the record of 6 in (15 cm) set in February 1895.[25] In Mobile, the under demolition Mobile Civic Center collapsed from the weight of the snow.[26]

Georgia

[edit]
Snowfall in Valdosta, Georgia on January 22

Governor Brian Kemp warned on January 21 that the storm could "wreck havoc" on the city of Atlanta due to its unpredictable nature and shifting more north then initially projected.[12] Many schools across the state closed early in advance of the storm.[11] One death has been reported due to cold temperatures.[27] Atlanta recorded 1.1 in (2.8 cm) of snow, marking its second 1 inch+ snowfall in less than 2 weeks after nearly seven years without receiving an inch of snow, also making this a top 10 snowiest January on record.[28] Areas north and west of the city received little to no precipitation and thus no impacts, while areas of the city, DeKalb, Gwinnett, South Fulton and Clayton counties had major traffic jams and hundreds of cars stranded on iced over streets. The previous Winter Weather Advisory was upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning as snow was falling, and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was placed on a ground stop. [29]

Florida

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Snowfall in Century, Florida on January 22
View of the snow from the blizzard in Madison County, Florida

On January 20, Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, declared a state of emergency for the incoming winter weather.[30] The Florida House of Representatives and Senate cancelled all of the committee meetings that were scheduled to occur during the week of January 20.[31] Tallahassee International Airport cancelled all remaining flights after 3 p.m. local time on January 21.[32] In addition, 65 mi (105 km) of Interstate 10 shut down in the state.[33]

By late on January 21, Milton recorded 10 in (25 cm) of snowfall. This was more than twice the highest amount of snowfall ever recorded in the state in a single storm.[34][35][36]

The Carolinas

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4.5 in (11 cm) of snow fell in North Myrtle Beach which registered as the largest snowstorm in the region since 1989. Many warming shelters across the region were opened. In addition, Myrtle Beach International Airport cancelled all flights through early on January 23.[37]

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to January 2025 Gulf Coast blizzard.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Roeloffs, Mary Whitfill. "Rare Gulf Coast Winter Storm Breaks Snow Records—Here's Where And The Areas That Could See More Snowfall". Forbes. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  2. ^ "Winter storm live updates: Florida buried in record-breaking snow as ice freezes South leaving at least 13 dead". The Independent. January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  3. ^ Wilder (January 21, 2025). "Storm Summary Number 1 for Gulf Coast and Southeast Winter Storm". Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  4. ^ Staff, KLTV Digital Media (January 18, 2025). "State agencies mobilize resources ahead of winter weather expected across much of Texas". kltv.com.
  5. ^ "From Texas to Florida, rare winter storm brings dangerous cold and snow to parts of the South - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. January 20, 2025.
  6. ^ "Flight Operations Suspended at Houston's Airports on Tuesday, January 21 due to Extreme Winter Weather | Houston Airport System". www.fly2houston.com.
  7. ^ Brack, Richard (January 20, 2025). "Wintry mix of precipitation could cause Texas power outages, but ERCOT says statewide grid is ready". www.expressnews.com.
  8. ^ "City officials asking Houstonians not to drip faucets during winter storm". ABC13 Houston. January 20, 2025.
  9. ^ akrherz@iastate.edu, daryl herzmann. "IEM :: LSR from NWS HGX". mesonet.agron.iastate.edu. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  10. ^ akrherz@iastate.edu, daryl herzmann. "IEM :: LSR from NWS HGX". mesonet.agron.iastate.edu. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d "Winter Storm Brings Snow To New Orleans, Houston, Florida | Weather.com". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  12. ^ a b c d "Rare Southern winter storm brings historic snow, halts travel in parts of region". The Washington Post. January 21, 2025.
  13. ^ a b "New all time record lows have been set across the region this morning. New Iberia and Lafayette both saw their all time lowest temperatures this morning while Beaumont and Lake Charles saw their second lowest all time temperatures". X (formerly Twitter). National Weather Service, Lake Charles. January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  14. ^ akrherz@iastate.edu, daryl herzmann. "IEM :: AFD from NWS LCH". mesonet.agron.iastate.edu. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  15. ^ Howarth. "'Dangerous Cold' Warning Issued for Millions in the Deep South". Newsweek. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  16. ^ a b Miller (January 21, 2025). "Storm Summary Number 3 for Gulf Coast and Southeast Winter Storm". Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  17. ^ National Weather Service, New Orleans (January 23, 2025). "After a lot of coordination with the state climatologist Jay Grimes, EBR EM director, & numerous broadcast meteorologists around Baton Rouge we can confirm that Baton Rouge Airport received 7.6" of snow Tuesday. This breaks the Feb 15th 1895 all-time single day total of 6.5"". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  18. ^ "Baton Rouge Airport Ryan Field recorded its coldest temp on record & tied the 2nd coldest temp on record for the Baton Rouge area of 7 degrees this morning. Ryan Field's records go back to 1930 & the Baton Rouge area Period of Record goes back to 1892. #LAwx #MSwx". X (formerly Twitter). National Weather Service, New Orleans. January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  19. ^ "Extreme Temperatures Around the World". www.mherrera.org. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  20. ^ Discher, Emma (January 20, 2025). "Here's a list of New Orleans area interstate, road and bridge closures due to winter storm". NOLA.com. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  21. ^ "Bucks-Pelicans matchup in New Orleans postponed". NBA.com. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  22. ^ report, NOLA com staff (January 22, 2025). "Most New Orleans area schools will be closed Thursday because of snow and ice. See list". NOLA.com. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  23. ^ "Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport closed due to weather".
  24. ^ Bolden, Bonnie (January 22, 2025). "Did historic snow break records in Mississippi? Here's what we know about snowfall reports". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  25. ^ "Mobile breaks 130-year-old all-time snow record as winter storm sweeps Alabama". Al.com. January 21, 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  26. ^ pdarrington@al.com, Patrick Darrington | (January 22, 2025). "Mobile Civic Center's roof collapses after a historic snowfall ahead of demolition". al. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  27. ^ Maurer, Travis (January 18, 2025). "Georgia winter weather | 1 death reported as officials urge drivers to keep off roads Tuesday night". FOX 5 Atlanta. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  28. ^ "Atlanta set a new record Tuesday | Here's how much snow fell in other parts of the metro". 11Alive. January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  29. ^ "Metro Atlanta Snow vs No Show: What happened Tuesday afternoon?". 95.5 WSB. January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  30. ^ "NOTE TO PRESS: EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 25-13 (Emergency Management-Gulf Winter Weather System) | Executive Office of the Governor". www.flgov.com. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  31. ^ Team, CBS Miami (January 20, 2025). "Snow in Florida? State lawmakers cancel legislative meetings ahead of winter weather - CBS Miami". www.cbsnews.com.
  32. ^ @TLHAirport (January 21, 2025). "Update, 12:45p: Due to the inclement winter weather, commercial airlines servicing TLH canceled all flights after 3p today, 1/21. TLH will temporarily suspend operations at 4p with plans to reopen tomorrow, 1/22, at 12p. Travelers should check flight status with their airline". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  33. ^ "See the snowfall totals from the historic January snowstorm of 2025". Fox Weather. January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  34. ^ "Florida panhandle gets record snowfall from winter blast". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  35. ^ "At least 10 dead as record-breaking snowstorm sweeps across the South". www.ABCNews.go.com. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  36. ^ akrherz@iastate.edu, daryl herzmann. "IEM :: Local Storm Report App". mesonet.agron.iastate.edu. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  37. ^ "Grand Strand sees most snowfall since 14 inches fell in December 1989". WBTW. January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
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