Winter Weather Maker Roars Through the South, Breaking Records

Records that have stood for over a century were shattered on Tuesday as a major winter storm took aim at the southern U.S. Read on for the latest information coming out of this winter weather maker.

Deadly Snowstorm Hits the Gulf Coast and Beyond

A historic snowstorm crippled much of the Gulf Coast this week, sending the flakes flying from Texas and over into Florida before moving up the Carolina coast. The storm has already been billed as a once-in-a-lifetime event due to its rare and disruptive nature.

There have been at least nine fatalities blamed on the weather across the central and eastern U.S. A car crash near Batesville, Texas was responsible for five deaths. The extreme cold weather played a hand in the other fatalities.

The atypical snow set a handful of all-time snow records throughout the Gulf Coast region. All-time state snowfall records almost came down in Florida and Louisiana as the winter wonderland unfolded.

Officials in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi declared states of emergencies in an effort to free up resources to respond to the disaster. Several school districts have also been closed since the winter weather fired up across the unlikely region. A portion of the Gulf Coast was even under a blizzard warning for a time on Tuesday, marking the first time that this part of the U.S. has ever been under this type of warning.

Total damage and economic losses from the storm is estimated to already be between $14 and $17 billion, making it the most costly winter event to strike the region in decades. In addition to the closures of businesses, shipping logistics and supply chain operations have been significantly interrupted.

Diving Into the New Records

The white sandy beaches of the Florida Panhandle were covered in snow for a time on Tuesday. While the reports are still being confirmed, it looks as if the state of Florida broke an all-time snow record. The community of Milton reported a preliminary 9.8 inches of snow. This is also the same general part of the state that the previous state record of 4 inches was broken in March of 1954.

It was even snowier in Louisiana. The community of Grand Coteau picked up 13.4 inches of snow. If verified, this measurement will back the state's prior 24-hour snowfall record of 13 inches, a record that has stood since 1960.

Long stretches of interstates 10 and 55 were closed down at times in Louisiana as the snow piled up. The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport picked up 3 inches of the white stuff in a period of just two hours on Tuesday. The airport ended up recording 8 inches by the time the snow moved to the east, good enough for the largest snowfall on record since 1948 when official records began.

Although it is not an official record, New Orleans notched a handful of heavy snow events in the late 1800s and early 1900s. One such storm sent over 20 inches of snow across the metro area.

You have to go back over a decade to find the last time that measurable snow fell in Gulfport, Mississippi and Mobile, Alabama. The winter of 2013 and 2014 was the last time either of these cities saw meaningful snow. That was a different story on Tuesday when both cities got hit with several inches of snow.

Mobile Regional Airport also saw a new all-time snow record with 7.5 inches of accumulation. Leading the way in Alabama with this storm was the town of Babbie, coming in with 11 inches.

Texas also experienced a great degree of snow that combined with ice to create dangerous road conditions. The zone from San Antonio to Houston saw the worst of the impacts. Life came to a halt in Houston as the snow blanketed the roads. For some residents, this is the first time that they have ever seen snow.

Unseasonably cold temperatures will continue to linger across the southern U.S. through the end of the week. This will slow down the natural melting process of the wintry precipitation. Additionally, the thaw and refreeze process that is expected to happen in the overnight hours will necessitate caution on the roads, particularly in the early morning hours.

The temperatures are expected to begin to moderate beginning this weekend as the mass of Arctic air finally exits.

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