Forecasters warned that a record winter storm that is likely to bring rare snow and cold temperatures to the Gulf Coast region until Wednesday could affect over 55 million people, including snow falling into the Houston area Monday night.
By Monday evening, the storm is expected to bring ice and snow to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Houston, and other Southern cities.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Hobby Airport, two of Houston’s main airports, announced that they will halt flight operations Tuesday, beginning at midnight.
Gov. Jeff Landry of Louisiana issued a warning on Monday, advising residents to stay indoors and take precautions to keep pipes from freezing.
At a press conference, Landry stated that staying off the road is crucial. Remain warm at home unless you have an urgent need to travel.
According to projections, the majority of the region will get up to 4 inches of snow, but areas in Texas and Louisiana may see accumulations of up to 6 inches.
As far south as the Interstate 10 corridor, which passes through the Texas metropolis, sleet and light snow were observed Monday night, according to the Houston National Weather Service office.
By Tuesday, icy conditions should prevail in Tallahassee and Jacksonville, Florida, and moderate snowfall is anticipated along I-10 from New Orleans to the Florida Panhandle.
National experts warned that the winter storm may be devastating on the Gulf Coast, where the majority of communities lack snow plows.
Officials were laying out a strategy for potential road closures, and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development reported that it has 400,000 pounds of salt that it could apply to roads and bridges if necessary to deal with the snow and ice.
Forecasters warned that freezing rain might spread northward into coastal North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
The Florida Peninsula may have significant rainfall later this week, along with snow off the Atlantic Coast.
With temperatures between 20 and 40 degrees below normal, forecasters issued cold alerts for 214 million people Monday, spanning from the Rocky Mountains to southern Texas and central Florida.
For more than 24 hours, temperatures in a number of Southern and Gulf Coast locations will drop below freezing, which could lead to infrastructure problems like widespread pipe breaks, experts warned.
Some areas of the Rockies, the northern Plains, and the Upper Midwest will experience temperatures as low as minus 55 degrees due to wind chills.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Northeast will experience wind chills below zero.
Finally, Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama may set new chilly records.