(UPDATED Jan. 21, 2024, 11:45 a.m. ET)
Another strong, disruptive winter weather event will unfold across the U.S. this week, but this time the Gulf Coast is preparing for impacts.
Polar air is plunging south from Canada to start the week and meeting with moisture across the Gulf Coast from East Texas to Florida. As a center of low pressure moves over the Gulf, the storm will strengthen and bring snowfall of 3-5 inches, ice accumulation of up to 1 inch, and temperatures down into the upper teens and low 20s.
Forecasters are calling this a “once in a generation” snow event as the far southern parts of the US have only recorded measurable snowfall a handful of times.
Houston, New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, are all bracing for major impacts due to the snow and ice; all cities lack infrastructure to easily deal with even minor accumulations, so anything over 1-2 inches will cause significant damage and interruption to services including transportation. Ice accumulations will cause power outages and slick travel and snow accumulations will impact roadways likely causing accidents.
Both Houston Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport have suspended passenger and cargo flight operations on Tuesday due to the expected conditions.
FedEx warned in a service alert that packages scheduled for delivery on Tuesday could be delayed by winter weather that has disrupted operations at its global hub in Memphis, Tennessee. UPS said service in large parts of Texas and Louisiana is impacted by the storm system. And Dunavent, a Memphis, Tennesee-based 3PL, said it expects the inclement weather to impact operations in Houston, as well as its cross-border operations in Texas.
The Port of Savannah will close truck gates at 2 p.m., with container pickup and deliveries cut off 60 to 90 minutes before then, the Georgia Ports Authority said.
The National Weather Service in Mobile says to expect “significant and long lasting impacts” as cold temperatures will linger through the end of the week.