Winter storm coats Southern states with blanket of snow
Vehicles driving in the snow on the southbound of Highway 6 Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, in College Station, Texas.[Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via AP]
A winter storm has brought snow to parts of the U.S. South, moving into Alabama and Tennessee on Monday after blowing across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi the day before. The blanket of white falling across the region forced some school and government office closures, and fostered some play time for adults and children cooped up in the pandemic.
As many as 6 inches of snow fell across parts of southern Texas, the National Weather Service in Houston reported Sunday night. The snow contributed to slick roads and power outages, but some families took time to enjoy the weather in areas like Austin and College Station.
The system moved into Louisiana and Mississippi during the nighttime hours, with Louisiana State Police warning people in an online video to stay off the roads if possible.
By Monday morning, a light dusting covered grassy and elevated surfaces across northern Alabama and southern Tennessee. About two dozen public school systems delayed classes or closed in Alabama, and transportation officials reported wrecks in areas that received wintry precipitation overnight.
Snow could spread into northwest Georgia, forecasters said.
Snowfall totals of about 4 inches were expected for areas between Center, Texas, and Natchitoches, Louisiana, KSLA-TV reported. State government offices in 29 parishes will be closed Monday — including in Caddo Parish, where Shreveport is located — according to The Advocate.
More than 100,000 customers in Texas and over 50,000 customers in Louisiana were without power early Monday morning, according to poweroutage.us, a utility tracking website.
Several school districts were closed, delayed or scheduled for only virtual learning in Mississippi and southern Arkansas, news outlets reported.
The National Weather Service in Jackson said 2 to 4 inches of snow were expected for areas including Vicksburg and Yazoo City, with locally heavier amounts possible.
Communities further south in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama missed the snow, but got rain or sleet.