Winter Storm Enzo brings rare snow and ice to Gulf and Southeast coasts

Winter Storm Enzo is spreading a rare surge of snow and ice along the Gulf and Southeast coasts, disrupting travel and leading to historic snowfall in some locations.

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Latest alerts and radar

Enzo produces snow and ice across much of the South, as shown in the latest radar snapshot below.

Florida probably broke its snowfall record. While there is still snow to fall, Pensacola has recorded 5 inches of snow since snow began falling earlier Tuesday. That’s higher than the record of 4 inches set on March 6, 1954, near Milton.

The highest snowfall total so far, through 2 p.m. CST, is 10.5 inches in Rayne, Louisiana, or near Lafayette. Thunderstorm snow was reported nearby. On the coast, snow has accumulated down to the Gulf waters.

Moderate snow is falling and accumulating in New Orleans, where wind gusts exceeded 35 mph at times. Blizzard-like conditions were recorded at the city’s Lakefront Airport. At least 8 inches accumulated, making it the heaviest snowfall in the city since 1948.

In Alabama, Mobile started breaking records. The NWS office in town recorded 5.4 inches through mid-afternoon, breaking a single-day snowfall record (5 inches) dating back to Jan. 24, 1881. Most snowfall for a single event is 6 inches, which dates back to 1895.

Current alerts

The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories throughout the South, from Louisiana to parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Cities affected by these alerts include New Orleans, Tallahassee, Atlanta and Charleston, South Carolina.

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Forecast from Tuesday to Tuesday evening

• By Tuesday evening, most of the wintry weather will ease from the Mississippi River westward. Parts of Georgia, northern Florida and the Carolinas will continue to see snow and ice through early Wednesday. Most of the storm will be over after Wednesday morning, but road conditions will remain dangerous.
• Ice could hamper roads in northeast Florida and southeast Georgia overnight.

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Snowfall forecast

The map below shows additional snowfall to be expected in addition to that which has already fallen. Here are some notable facts about the forecast.

• At least a few inches of snow will accumulate from eastern Louisiana to southern Mississippi, southern Alabama and northwest Florida.
• Dust ranging from six to six inches could fall from Georgia to the Carolinas. The largest totals are expected from southern Georgia to the coastal Carolinas.
• The northward extent of any accumulation is very uncertain, particularly around Atlanta and the Carolinas. However, even small amounts could create unsafe travel conditions.
• There is also an area from northeast Florida to southeast Georgia that can pick up enough ice to break tree branches and knock out power.

Estimated snowfall so far

Up to 4.2 inches of snow fell in the Houston metro area while flurries fell in Galveston. Snow even fell as far as Brownsville, Texas, early Tuesday. Gusts of 44 mph were also recorded there.

Up to a quarter-inch of ice accumulated earlier Tuesday in South Texas, where power outages were reported.

Snowfall totals reported by state so far, through 5:00 p.m. EST:

• Alabama: 5 inches in Minette Bay (northeast of Mobile)
• Florida: 5.5 inches in Molino (north of Pensacola)*
• Louisiana: 10.5 inches in Rayne (near Lafayette)
• Mississippi: 4 inches in Lumberton (south of Hattiesburg)
• Texas: 6 inches near Pine Island (near Beaumont)

*​ a potential status file

Jonathan Belles was a meteorological graphic designer and writer for weather.com for 8 years and also participates in the production of videos for The Weather Channel in Spanish. His favorite climate is tropical, but he also enjoys covering high-impact weather events, breaking news and winter storms. He is a two-time graduate of Florida State University and a proud graduate of St. Petersburg College.