Florida has been hit by record-breaking snowfall as a historic winter storm sweeps through the Deep South and Gulf Coast.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency on Monday (Jan. 20) ahead of the massive snowstorm’s arrival in the region. By Tuesday, there were widespread reports of 5 to 12 inches (13 to 31 centimeters) of snow around Pensacola, smashing the previous state record of 4 inches (10 cm), Fox Weather reported.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a warning on Wednesday (Jan. 22), noting there would be “dangerously cold temperatures” for large parts of the South and eastern U.S. The “potentially historic” storm is expected to bring sub-freezing temperatures that will persist throughout the week, according to a statement from the NWS Weather Prediction Center posted on Facebook.
Much of the U.S. is experiencing deep chills as Arctic air sweeps across the eastern two-thirds of the country. The rare snowfall in Florida is part of what could be the biggest snow and ice storm in more than 100 years for some parts of the Gulf Coast, the weather website AccuWeather reported.
Parts of the country from northern Florida to North Carolina will continue to see heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain as the winter storm persists through Wednesday morning, according to NWS.
Related: ‘Unusual’ and weak La Niña finally here, NOAA confirms
Forecasters predicted an unusually cold spell was coming at the beginning of the month, with large-scale pressure changes and a shift in the polar vortex pushing an Arctic blast south.
Millions of people have already faced disruptions due to the freak weather. In the south, the storm dumped snow and ice along 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) of interstate from central Texas to northern Florida, AccuWeather reported. Four people have died from suspected hypothermia, including two in Texas, one in Wisconsin and one in Georgia, Sky News reported.
Temperatures should slowly return to normal by the end of the week, but major highway and air traffic disruptions will likely persist, even in areas of the Gulf Coast where the snow has stopped, according to NWS.
“These travel impacts may linger for several days given the historic heavy accumulations combined with frigid temperatures, as well as the lack of equipment for clearing roads compared to areas further north more accustomed to this amount of snowfall,” NWS representatives wrote.
