NEW ORLEANS — A major winter storm that slammed Texas and blanketed the northern Gulf Coast with record-breaking snow moved east Wednesday, spreading heavy snow, sleet sleet and freezing rain across parts of the Florida Panhandle, Georgia and eastern Carolinas.
The weather warning areas included big cities like Jacksonville, FL, which is expected to see snow, sleet and accumulating ice into Wednesday.
Jacksonville International Airport closed because of the weather Tuesday evening and said it planned to reopen at midday Wednesday.
In eastern North Carolina, driving snow was expected with near-blizzard conditions in the state’s Outer Banks, where up to 8 inches could fall.
Dangerous below-freezing temperatures with even colder wind chills were also expected to last over much of the week in the region.
It had been more than a decade since snow last fell on New Orleans. Tuesday’s rare snowfall set a record in the city, where 10 inches fell in some places, far surpassing its record of 2.7 inches set Dec. 31, 1963, the National Weather Service said.
Snow fell in Houston and prompted the first ever blizzard warnings for several coastal counties near the Texas-Louisiana border.
Snow covered the white-sand beaches of normally sunny vacation spots, including Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Pensacola Beach, Florida.
“Believe it or not, in the state of Florida we’re mobilizing snowplows,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
FLIGHT DISRUPTIONS
More than 2,300 flights to, from or within the U.S. were canceled Tuesday, according to online tracker FlightAware.com.
Both Houston airports suspended flight operations, and nearly every flight was canceled at New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport. Most airlines planned to resume operations Wednesday.
Air Canada has implemented its flexible booking policy for Atlanta, Austin, Houston and New Orleans, for Jan. 22 flights, as reported earlier this week. More details can be found here.
WestJet’s travel alert is for Atlanta and Houston, for travel Jan. 21 – 22; click here for information.
With file from The Associated Press
