A major winter storm will continue to create dangerous weather in an unusual spot across the U.S. through midweek. The central and eastern Gulf Coast to the eastern Carolinas will be blanketed in several inches of snow and an icy mix.
An area of low pressure will glide across the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico until tonight before exiting into the southwestern Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday morning. Sub-freezing temperatures and plentiful moisture will allow a band of accumulating snow to spread east along the Gulf Coast to southern Georgia through this evening. Snow will expand across the eastern Carolinas tonight before moving offshore on Wednesday morning.
Just south of the main snow band will be a zone of sleet and freezing rain, especially along or near the Interstate 10 corridor in northern Florida tonight and early Wednesday morning.
Widespread Winter Weather Advisories and Winter Storm Warnings are in effect from south-central and southern Texas to northern Florida, much of Georgia and the Carolinas, and far southeastern Virginia. Lake Charles, Lafayette, and New Orleans, La., Biloxi, Miss., Mobile and Montgomery, Ala., Pensacola, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and Gainesville, Fla., Albany, Savannah, and Atlanta, Ga., Columbia and Charleston, S.C., and Fayetteville and Raleigh, N.C., are included.
Snowfall accumulation will range from as little as a dusting or inch near the Atlanta metro area to 2 to 6 inches from southeastern Louisiana to southwestern Georgia. Isolated 6- to 8-inch totals may occur across the eastern North Carolina Outer Banks. Meanwhile, a zone of ice accretion up to one-tenth inch or slightly more is likely across interior northern Florida, with the greatest risk just northwest, west, and southwest of Jacksonville to Gainesville late tonight and early on Wednesday morning.
After all the hype, this storm has been impactful and no slouch. One to 4 inches fell across the Houston metro area, while Beaumont to Port Arthur, Texas, measured 5.2 and 4.5 inches, respectively. Farther east in Louisiana, snowfall totals climb to near a half foot in Lake Charles, La., to 5 to 9 inches in and west of Lafayette, La. Even New Orleans airport in downtown has measured an impressive 4 inches of snowfall so far.
Roads will be snow-covered and slick; it is extremely important that if you do not need to travel, please stay home! If you cannot avoid traveling, make sure you carry a winter survival kit including an extra flashlight, food, water, and a cell phone charger in case you become stranded.