If you live in the southern part of the United States and like wintry precipitation, 2025 has not disappointed you. On the heels of a recent storm, the Deep South is bracing for another round of winter weather. Here are my three big concerns with the looming storm.
The National Weather Service is sounding the alarm about the potential for a winter storm in the Deep South this week. The Weather Prediction Center wrote Saturday morning, “There is increasing confidence in a winter storm across the southern tier, which could produce snow/sleet close to the western/central Gulf Coast across the Southeast and Carolinas, with notable freezing rain possible from the Florida Panhandle and just north.” While there is still uncertainty about the exact totals, there is also some clarity emerging.
Winter Weather In Inexperienced Places
First, the storm will start to take shape Monday near Texas and then move eastward into the Southeast. This brings me to my first big concern. Given the expected track of the low pressure system, an array of winter precipitation is expected from Texas to the Carolinas. To make matters worse, cities like Houston, New Orleans, Tallahassee, Mobile, Jacksonville, and other places along the Interstate 10 corridor could experience freezing rain. At the same time, the Interstate 20 corridor and points southward will be in the “snow belt” of this storm. Even if you live along the Interstate 95 corridor (Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas) you need to be paying close attention too.
It always baffles me when residents from places more accustomed to winter weather make fun of the South for “shutting down” or struggling with this type of weather event. As a native of Georgian, I assure you it is warranted. The Deep South has far less snow removal infrastructure. Here in Atlanta, we average under 2 inches of snow annually, and it is not guaranteed to happen each year. I am happy to see investments elsewhere.
People generally are not as experienced with driving on snowy or icy roads. One of the reasons I moved back to the South from Maryland was to avoid such conditions (smile). I have a son in high school and a daughter in college. Both of them are drivers with virtually no experience with winter weather driving. According to the Worldcraft Logistics website, four of the busiest transportation corridors in the U.S. are found in the region to be affected by this storm. These facts portend a transportation mess.
Rapid Freezing and Deteriorating Travel Conditions
This brings me to my second big concern with this storm. It is going to be brutally cold in the eastern U.S. including the Deep South. In fact, we are expecting a plunge of air that originated in Siberia. Why is that concerning? Any snow that falls this coming week will immediately start to cause transportation problems. Ground temperatures will be sufficiently cold to produce rapidly deteriorating conditions. I lived through “Snowmaggedon” in Atlanta. Even though it was “only” 1 to 2 inches of snow, the event featured extremely cold temperatures, which caused a transportation nightmare. Cities like Birmingham, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh could be dealing with a similar event. The city of Atlanta is hosting the College Football National Championship game. While conditions should be fine for the game on Monday evening, travel logistics (air and ground) could be quite challenging the following day.
Hazards Associated With Extreme Cold
I am also concerned about the implications of the cold temperatures. Many places in the Deep South could experience days of temperatures at or below freezing. Wind chills will be in the teens or single digits as well. Extreme cold is a hazard to infrastructure (remember the Texas energy issues a few years ago), home plumbing, and public health. Additionally, places along the Gulf Coast that experience freezing rain will likely deal with fallen trees and power outages.
At the time of writing, meteorologists like me are awaiting new information from more detailed weather models becoming available in the next day or so. If you live in the South, it is critical that you pay attention to the evolving forecast. Do not anchor onto information you saw days ago. I also encourage everyone in the region to start thinking about winter weather, travel, and emergency plans.
