A rare winter storm hits Texas and the northern Gulf Coast on Tuesday. The government has closed many highways and airports. Moreover, the government has also issued a blizzard warning for southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas. And the condition is going to worsen now. The storm is likely to scatter heavy snow, freezing rain, and sleet around the deep South. Along with this, on Tuesday, The government canceled almost 2000 flights from entering or leaving the country in the United States. Apart from this, according to online tracker Flight aware.com, more than 10,000 flights are not on time. Furthermore, both Houston airports also said that flight operations will remain suspended on Tuesday in anticipation of hazardous conditions.
The Snow is Covering Mississippi and Texas
The preliminary estimates from the National Weather Service reported that more than 9 inches of snow covered some parts of South Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Moreover, some areas are facing such serious conditions for the first time. The chilled wind has a temperature of single digits. Furthermore, the neighborhood across New Orleans is also facing the situation. On Tuesday by early afternoon, New Orleans also faced high snowfall. The live Oaks and Palm trees are totally frosted over. Moreover, the state officials and City-Parish have asked residents to hunker down. They have also said to order a curfew for the safety of residents.
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Impact of Winter Storm on the Life of Residents
The bizarre weather has shut down every path of the state and the residents are facing a lot of difficulties. Moreover, the transportation officials had issued an order to close 10 interstate and other major highways. Apart from this, the Louis Armstrong International Airport has also suspended more than 600 flights. The weather is so critical. Even the Government has closed many offices. Schools have also canceled their classes. However, officials have also reported that roughly 50 car accidents have taken place because of this harsh weather. Along with this, they have also warned the drivers to drive safely on the roads and also asked them to stay out of the road if it is not urgent. The Government Jeff Landry has appealed to residents to not get distracted by the sudden “winter wonderland”. Lendry said that the weather is going to be dangerously cold.
What Forecasters are Saying About the Coming Days
According to the weather forecast department, the wind will continue to chill the temperature. They further said that, in the coming days, the temperature will surely drop to single digits. The Louisiana state climatologist, Jay Grymes said that condition may appear to water pipes. There will be power outages too. Furthermore, Grymes said that frozen pipes are going to be one of the big issues all over the state. Moreover, power outages in the coming days are going to create problems for the residents. He urged the local people to be ready to handle any circumstance. The National Weather Service Department has said that the storm may taper off by Wednesday. Moreover, he further added that the snow will continue to stick on the ground till Thursday and the temperature will surely freeze the people of Texas and Louisiana.
Scattered Outrages in the New Orleans
Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Louisiana reported that there are scattered outrages in the New Orleans metro area. On Tuesday, more than 1,000 customers were without power in the largest concentration. That power was restored for most customers. Moreover, in the Baton Rouge Area Entergy crews restored power to more than 400 customers. Along with this, they restored power to around 900 customers in the Lake Charles and Lafayette areas.
The Storm is Breaking all the Records
The Texas and Louisiana storms are breaking all the records. In the 1960s a major winter storm wind happened in the Gulf Coast. Moreover, in 1895, the biggest snowfall of the state covered Baton Rouge’s ground with 12.5 inches of snow. Furthermore, on Tuesday afternoon, there were 8 inches of snow in Baton Rouge. The NWS had recorded 9.5 inches of snow in Orleans Parish ground. Apart from this, more than 8 inches of snow covered the whole Ascension Parish. Del Agnew and Sheeri Bornstein, New Orleans natives, were witnessing the snow. They came out from their uptown to see the snowfall. The duo also said that they have never seen such a massive amount of snowfall in the Crescent City in their whole lifetime. Apart from this, Bornstein also said that it’s too wild to walk outside.
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Conclusion
Texas and Louisiana are facing a major winter storm. Moreover, the Northern Gulf Coast is covered in a blanket of snow. Furthermore, the heavy snowfall has started freezing different parts of Florida Panhandler, Eastern Carolinas, and Georgia. However, the weather department has issued a warning for major cities like Florida and Jacksonville. Major cities are also going to see heavy snowfall, sleet, and accumulating ice into Wednesday. The weather department made a social media post and asked the citizens to stay safe in their houses and urged them to stay inside till it was not very urgent.