Historic winter storm freezes the southern US and paralyzes airports in Houston and New Orleans
An unusual weather phenomenon has covered cities in the southern United States with snow, such as Houston, Texas and New Orleans, Louisianawhile an arctic air mass has caused dangerously low temperatures in much of the country.
As reported Fox Newsthousands of flights were canceled and operations at Houston airports, including George Bush Intercontinental Airporthe William P. Hobby Airport and the Ellington Airportwere suspended from midnight on Tuesday, January 21 due to extremely dangerous road conditions.
According to him Houston Airport Systemthe decision of suspend operations was taken to ensure the safety of passengers and staff. In a statement posted on social media, Hobby Airport warned passengers travelers to avoid moving to the facilities. According to the flight tracking site FlightAware93% of flights at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and 94% at Hobby Airport were cancelled. In it Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airportthe figure reached 89%.
The phenomenon was described as a winter storm rare in this region, where the snowfall They are uncommon. He National Weather Service (NWS) issued warnings of snow storm for the first time in several coastal counties near the border between Texas and Louisiana. Furthermore, strong snowfall, freezing rain and gusts of wind of up to 56 kilometers per hour, which aggravates dangerous outdoor conditions.
In Houstonthis is the first time that a snowfall since the devastating winter of 2021, when a storm left millions without power and caused more than 200 deaths, according to data from The Associated Press. According to the meteorologist Hayley Adamsfrom the NWS in Houston, snowfall in this city is extremely rare. The all-time snow record in Houston dates back to February 1895, when a two-day storm left 20 inches of accumulation.
In New Orleanssnow covered the streets and surprised residents, who are not used to this type of weather. According to the NWS, the capital of Louisiana, Baton Rougerecorded 3.8 centimeters of snow, the first time it has occurred since 2018. The meteorologist Donald Jonesof the NWS in Lake Charles, rated this storm as a historic and memorable event, highlighting that the last snowfall of this magnitude in the region occurred in 1960.
The storm’s impact has spread beyond Texas and Louisiana. According to FlightAwareabout 2,000 flights into, towards or from USA were canceled this Tuesday, while another 10,000 suffered delays. In New Orleans, although Louis Armstrong Airport remained open, almost all flights were canceled. Airlines hope to resume normal operations on Wednesday.
On the roads, Louisiana transportation authorities worked through the night to prepare bridges and highways for icy conditions. In Houston, the mayor John Whitmire He asked residents to avoid driving as temperatures would not rise above freezing until Thursday.
Additionally, schools in several southern states, including Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Floridathey canceled classes on Tuesday. In the Carolinas, some coastal communities also closed their school systems in anticipation of severe weather conditions.
The impact of this mass of arctic air It is not limited to the south. According to The Associated Pressdangerously low temperatures and wind chills have affected much of the eastern and midwestern United States. In the Northeast, a state of emergency was declared in at least a dozen New York counties due to heavy snow and extreme temperatures. In areas near Lakes Ontario and Erie, an accumulation of between 30 and 60 centimeters of snow is expected through Wednesday.
The NWS warned that wind chills could reach temperatures between -34°C and -46°C in the Dakotas and upper Midwest, posing an extreme risk of hypothermia and frostbite. In Houston, low temperatures on Tuesday were around -8°C, which could cause pipes to burst due to frozen water.
Even in the Florida Panhandlewhere the snowfall are extremely rare, snow plows were mobilized to deal with the winter conditions. According to the governor Ron DeSantisthis measure is unusual in the state, but necessary given the possibility of record snowfalls. In Tallahasseethe capital of Florida, last recorded snowfall in 2018, with just 0.25 centimeters. The historical snow record in the city is 7 centimeters, recorded in 1958.
In other southern areas, such as Charleston, South Carolinaauthorities closed bridges and roads to avoid accidents. In 2018, a snowfall in this city forced the airport to close for four days, while in 2014, large blocks of ice fell from a bridge, damaging vehicles.
This episode of extreme cold and unusual snowfall is due to an alteration in the polar vortexa cold air mass that normally remains confined to the North Pole. According to the NWS, normal temperatures will not return to the affected regions until the end of the week.
