Blizzard blasts Gulf Coast paralyzing communities from Texas to Florida to Carolinas with record-breaking snow
Houston, New Orleans and Pensacola, Florida, all saw major impacts as the historic winter storm swept across the Gulf Coast on Tuesday.
How long will the snow last in the Deep South?
A powerful and rare winter storm swept across the South on Tuesday, bringing the first-ever Blizzard Warning to the Gulf Coast and blasting communities from Texas to Florida to the Carolinas with record-shattering snow that snarled travel and brought daily life to a halt.
Fast Facts:
- Worst winter storm in more than 120 years blasted Gulf Coast states, including first-ever Blizzard Warning in Louisiana.
- New Orleans saw 8 inches of snow, making this the worst storm since 1895.
- Florida broke state record for largest snowstorm ever.
- Life-threatening cold to keep snowpack in place through at least the end of the week.
HOUSTON – A powerful and rare winter storm swept across the South on Tuesday, bringing the first-ever Blizzard Warning to the Gulf Coast and blasting communities from Texas to Florida to the Carolinas with record-shattering snow that snarled travel and brought daily life to a halt.
"Honestly, it’s been a jaw-dropping 24 hours," FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said Wednesday morning. "I mean, to see some of the images that we have shown you on FOX Weather is something that you only see once in a generation."
But as the sun came up Wednesday, the thermometer still struggled to climb near freezing across the snow-blanketed South, leaving significant travel impacts to linger for another day. Florida, which more than doubled its state record for snowfall, shut down a nearly 200-mile stretch of Interstate 10 Wednesday night along the Panhandle due to lingering snow and icy conditions expected to persist into Thursday morning.
"This truly will be a storm that decades from now we’ll have a new generation of kids being like, ‘Where were you in 2025 during that time?’" Merwin said.
Houston hammered by historic snow
Drone video spots dozens of sledders having fun in the Houston snow
Sledders flock to Hermann Park in Houston after 2-4 inches fell during a historic winter storm Tuesday. (Video courtesy: @cjblain10 /TMX)
The historic winter storm first slammed into Texas early Tuesday morning, where five people were killed in a multiple-vehicle crash along U.S. 57 in Zavala County, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). Investigators said the initial crash happened during icy conditions when several vehicles were unable to stop. A semi-truck then hit the three vehicles involved in the crash when the driver was also unable to stop because of the winter conditions on the road.
The storm continued on its journey to the east, bringing snow and sleet around Austin and San Antonio before interacting with moisture over the Gulf of Mexico.
The storm then began to strengthen over southeastern Texas, dumping snow across the Houston metro as temperatures dropped, and wind chills made it feel even colder.
Watch: Snow blankets Galveston beach during snowstorm
Video from Galveston.com webcam shows a once-in-two-decades occurence, snow on the beach! The last time significant snow hit Galveston was in 2004.
Roads and highways, including the busy Interstate 10 corridor, were covered in snow and ice, which led to numerous reports of crashes and closed sections of the highway for hours.
In fact, the stretch of Interstate 10 from the Texas-Louisiana border to Interstate 49 in LaFayette, Louisiana, only reopened on Thursday afternoon.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) in Houston were shut down for all of Tuesday, only resuming operations Wednesday morning.
Houston airports back to normal operations following historic winter storm
A powerful and rare winter storm that slammed the Houston area with snow on Tuesday forced the closure of both William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), but thanks to the hard work by crews the airports were able to resume normal operations on Wednesday. Houston Airport System Director Jim Szczesniak joined FOX Weather with the latest.
HOU picked up 3 inches of snow Tuesday, making it the most snow in one day since Jan. 30, 1949, when 3.1 inches fell and the third-snowiest day on record at the airport. IAH received 1.2 inches.
Classes were canceled at schools and universities across the region, and hospitals canceled outpatient appointments. Port Houston was also expected to remain closed Wednesday.
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Record snow makes for surreal scenes in New Orleans
Watch: Palm trees sway amid near-blizzard conditions in New Orleans
Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans is currently experiencing an extraordinary and surreal scene. Palm trees are dramatically swaying in the wind amidst falling snow. Near-blizzard conditions have been reported at New Orleans Lakefront Airport for the past few hours, with wind gusts exceeding 45 mph. A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect through Tuesday evening.
The combination of heavy snow and high wind gusts then brought blizzard and near-blizzard conditions to the Gulf Coast, triggering the first-ever Blizzard Warning for the coasts of Louisiana and southeastern Texas.
The record-breaking storm brought heavy snow to New Orleans, blanketing palm trees in fresh flakes and halting the normally busy Big Easy.
SEE IT: GULF COAST BEACHES COVERED WITH SNOW DURING HISTORIC WINTER STORM
Historic snow falls across New Orleans
About 6-9 inches of snow fell across New Orleans sending people out to experience a once-in-a-lifetime winter storm event.
New Orleans shattered its one-day snow total record by noon when Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) recorded 8 inches of snow. The new record breaks the Dec. 31, 1963, record of 2.7 inches. The only heavier snowfalls ever recorded in the city stretch back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Officials at MSY said they were continuing to monitor winter weather conditions. On Wednesday, airlines canceled all departing flights. The airport said that airlines plan to resume operations on Thursday afternoon.
The iconic St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter is barely visible in the heavy snow on January 21, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. A winter storm brought rare snowfall to the city shutting down schools and businesses and drawing out locals, many of whom had never seen snow before. (Photo by Michael DeMocker/Getty Images)
The NBA announced that Wednesday night's game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the New Orleans Pelicans had been postponed.
"The decision was made in consultation with local officials to prioritize the safety of the players, fans and staff due to the hazardous weather conditions in the New Orleans area," the NBA said in a statement. "The date for the rescheduled game will be announced at a later time."
Flakes fly across Florida Panhandle
Beachgoers in Florida were met with a not-so-pleasant surprise as strong snow and winds slammed the area
Record-breaking snow totals throughout Florida amid an historic winter storm.
Florida also saw major impacts from the winter storm, as rare Winter Storm Warnings were issued from Pensacola to Jacksonville.
Pensacola was a jaw-dropping winter wonderland as the town picked up 8.9 inches of snow, now crowned as the snowiest day in Florida history, breaking the previous record of 4 inches. The 8.9 inches was more snow in Pensacola in one day than the city had seen in its previous 124 winters combined, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
DRIVING ON THE ICE AND DRIVING IN THE SNOW: WEATHER DRIVING TIPS FOR DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER
This image shows a "Welcome to the Free State of Florida" sign as snow falls during a historic winter storm on Monday, Jan. 21, 2025.
(@MyFDOT/X / FOX Weather)
According to National Weather Service meteorologists in Tallahassee, it will take several days to verify all the snowfall reports and determine if any city beat out the Pensacola metro for the largest snow measurement ever in the Sunshine State.
SEE THE HISTORIC TOTALS FROM THE HISTORIC JANUARY SNOWSTORM OF 2025
A car drives along a road during a winter storm on January 21, 2025 in Tallahassee, Florida. The National Weather Service has placed North Florida under a winter storm warning with some predicting the Gulf's biggest snow and ice storm in more than 100 years. (Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images)
Officials said they had pre-treated roads, but the hazardous weather led to a series of crashes.
Tallahassee International Airport (TLH) was open as the storm began, but it announced later in the afternoon that commercial airline flights servicing the airport were canceled, and the airport said it would remain closed until Thursday afternoon.
Similar cancellations were planned at the Jacksonville International Airport (JAX), where the last departing flight was expected to leave around 8 p.m. Tuesday, with operations returning to normal by noon Wednesday.
Mobile, Alabama, saw its snowiest day on record Tuesday when at least 7.5 inches of snow fell.
According to city officials, the weight of the "excessive snow" caused the Mobile Civic Center to collapse on Wednesday. The building was undergoing demolition, and officials said no one was injured.
Snow caused the Mobile Civic Center roof to collapse on Jan. 22, 2025, a day after the city recorded 7.5 inches.
(City of Mobile, Alabama)
Georgia sees numerous crashes due to icy conditions
Watch: Atlanta blanketed in snow after historic winter storm
The FOX Flight Team captured Newnan, Georgia, south of Atlanta, blanketed in snow on Wednesday morning, following a historic winter storm that crippled the region. The Deep South experienced its heaviest snowfall in years.
Impacts from the record-breaking winter storm were also seen across the Southeast into the Atlanta metro in Georgia. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) said operations were slowed during the storm, but the resumption of airport operations on Wednesday was complete by the afternoon.
This image shows a car off the side of the road in Atlanta after a winter storm on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025.
(FOX 5 Atlanta)
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said on X that he was thankful to Georgia Department of Transportation crews for their tireless work to keep roads safe and clear, but said crashes and icy roads remain.
There were reports of more than 100 vehicles becoming stranded on roads, many of them obstructing emergency response efforts.
Warmer weather was on the way for the Gulf Coast later in the week, set to melt away what's left of the icy aftermath and leaving residents to wonder when they might ever see snow in those parts again.