Freeze-ups to cause dangerous conditions to linger in South
Even though natural melting will occur soon after in the wake of the historical storm that dumped record snowfall and even created blizzard conditions along the Interstate 10 corridor of the southeastern United States, difficulties and dangers will linger for days in the hardest-hit locations, AccuWeather meteorologists advise.
Cleanup crews, motorists and pedestrians in the Midwest and Northeast are used to dealing with the aftermath of frequent winter storms, but this is not so for Southerners and especially those along the Gulf coast. Storms like the one on Tuesday only come along from once in a few decades to once in 100 years or more.
Milton, Florida, set a new state record with this storm as 9.8 inches of snow fell, breaking the old record of 4 inches set in 1954. From 2 to 4 inches of snow fell across the Houston area. A storm from February 1895 that predates airport data likely remains at the top of the list at some locations, including New Orleans. New Orleans picked up 8 inches of snow from the storm a few days ago. The overall top snowfall from the Tuesday storm appears to be in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, with 13.4 inches, which also set a state record.
The sun will go to work on the frigid air that swept in from thousands of miles away in northern Canada and Siberia ahead of and during the storm in the southern U.S. Some melting will occur and may quickly help to free some roads and sidewalks of ice and snow--where the accumulation has been relatively small.
However, because many locations along the I-10 corridor received deep snow from the storm and proper snow removal equipment is in short supply or non-existent, it will take a few days for all of it to melt and for roads, sidewalks, and parking lots to dry completely.
With multiple nights of below-freezing temperatures in store, runoff and areas made wet and slushy by the natural melting during the day will freeze.
Temperatures are forecast to rebound almost immediately after the storm over portions of central and southern Texas, but the warming trend will take progressively longer farther to the east along the Gulf coast.
Melting and freezing cycles are common across the Northern states in the wake of major storms and easily dealt with by the spread of ice-melting compounds. However, these treatments are in short supply or non-existent in the Southern states.
Often a thin sheet of clear ice can form on wet surfaces around sunset or as late as daybreak. Extreme caution is urged as the ice may appear to be just a wet road, sidewalk or parking lot.
Sand, cat litter, or pea-sized gravel can make some surfaces less slippery and help reduce the risk of injury to passers-by. Local property owners and township crews can help remove snow from storm drains to reduce the amount of water collecting on the streets and intersections, which can freeze at night. Even in the Northern states, the number of slip-and-fall incidents balloons several days after a major storm due to refreezing episodes.
There has been considerable natural melting of the existing snow and ice cover around Houston on Wednesday and Thursday. But still, any wet patches leftover from the afternoon hours can freeze in the evening and overnight. The ice may appear to be wet and can be dangerous by foot or tire. As nighttime temperatures trend upward this weekend, this risk should diminish.
Farther to the east, in cities such as New Orleans; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida, the thaw and freeze cycles and risk of icy surfaces during the nighttime and morning hours may last into the weekend due to a more gradual warmup.
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