At Least 9 Reported Dead in Brutal Cold as Historic Snow Falls in Once-in-a-generation Storm in the South

At least nine people are believed to have died as a result of the dangerous cold gripping much of the country, as a once-in-a-generation winter storm wreaks havoc on the Gulf Coast — a region wholly unaccustomed to winter weather.

While the cold has proved deadly, footage from across the Gulf Coast shows snow blanketing implausible places, causing surreal wintry scenes: in New Orleans’ French Quarter, where street performers sang for passersby; on the grass at the Florida border; and on the white sand beaches of Orange Beach, Alabama.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Brennan Matherne wrote on X, where he shared footage of snow falling in Cut Off, Louisiana, “and probably never will again.”

Deadly storm: Two deaths in Austin are being investigated as suspected cold-related deaths, according to the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, though the medical examiner’s office has not made a final determination of the causes of death. Georgia officials reported one death from hypothermia at a news conference Tuesday, saying the individual was outside the night prior. Another death is also believed to have been caused by hypothermia, involving an 80-year-old man in Milwaukee who fell outdoors early Sunday, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office. At least five people died in a vehicle accident caused by icy conditions early Tuesday morning in Zavala County, Texas, according to CNN affiliate WOAI/KABB, citing authorities.

Record snowfall: Snow is falling from southeast Texas through Louisiana and into parts of Mississippi and Alabama Tuesday, creating treacherous conditions. An area stretching from Houston into Alabama has recorded widespread snowfall of 3 to 6 inches, with at least one locale hitting the double-digit mark. Eight inches of snowfall was recorded at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Tuesday according to the National Weather Service in New Orleans; the previous modern record was 2.7 inches in 1963. Florida has likely broken its all-time statewide snow record, with at least 5.5 inches recorded in Molino – a record that has stood since 1954. Mobile, Alabama, has so far recorded more than five inches of snow, breaking a 143-year-old record for one-day snowfall. A record amount of snow is forecast for New Orleans and other cities along the Gulf Coast.

Unprecedented blizzard warning issued: Heavy snow and strong wind gusts combined to create whiteout conditions in southern Louisiana, where snow totals of 3 to 6 inches are already widespread. It prompted the first-ever blizzard warning anywhere along the Gulf Coast from the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, for parts of southern Louisiana and far eastern Texas.

Widespread closures: Snow has closed or hindered operations at multiple airports in the South, contributing to the more than 2,300 flight cancellations into or out of US airports Tuesday – and more than 900 cancellations so far Wednesday. Large sections of Interstate 10 — the Gulf Coast’s major thoroughfare — in Texas and Louisiana are closed Tuesday as snow and some icy mix make travel difficult to impossible. Major roads were closed across the New Orleans area. Schools and government offices are closed Tuesday throughout the Gulf Coast and states of emergency are active in Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.

Bitter cold: Low temperatures and wind chills from the Canadian border to the Mexican border are hitting dangerous levels for the second consecutive day. Wind chills Tuesday morning dropped into the teens for much of the Gulf Coast with single-digit values in northern Texas.

Source: CNN