Rare Snowstorm Hits: A winter storm dumps snow over Florida and South Carolina

The South was still recovering Wednesday from a record winter storm that closed interstates, airports, and schools, dusted palm palms and beaches with snow, and killed at least five people in Texas. On Tuesday, the system, designated Winter Storm Enzo by The Weather Channel, dumped the most snow in at least a century in

New Orleans, Mobile, and Pensacola. The storm also brought snow to Georgia and South Carolina sections, including Savannah and Charleston. “What made this most unforgettable was how far south the snow traveled. Florida and Louisiana had considerable snowfall, while North Georgia did not. “We even saw the first-ever blizzard warning in Louisiana,” said Dina Knightly, senior meteorologist at weather.com. 

Louisiana continues to have widespread road closures:

According to a social media post from the Louisiana State Police: “LSP advises the public that the majority of the Interstate system, federal and state roads remain CLOSED nationwide… While isolated areas may appear driveable, most roads are frozen and dangerous, prompting closures. Troopers have observed increased needless travel, resulting in collisions and stranded cars, necessitating more response operations. Please stay at home; your participation ensures safety and allows Troopers to focus on reopening roads when conditions improve.

According to Marc Chenard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, around 40 million people, predominantly in the southern United States, were under some form of weather peril. Another 170 million people from the Rockies to the east were under an extreme weather warning or cold weather alert. The NWS warned that the uncommon storm might cause “widespread” air and land travel delays for several days after the snowfall stopped.