by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 11:55 AM ET, Wed January 22, 2025
Update: January 22, 2024, at 11:31 a.m. ET
While Winter Storm Enzo has started to wind down, the storm
has shut down travel and brought record-breaking snowfall totals to states like
Louisiana, Florida, and Alabama.
According to Weather.com,
Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida, recorded record snow totals with 7.5
inches and 7.6 inches, respectively, while Baton Rouge reported 7.6 inches, New
Orleans eight inches and Lafayette nine inches.
As much as five inches of snow has been reported in parts of
coastal North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, with parts of the Atlanta
area declaring a state of emergency.
According to FlightAware.com, 1,708
flights were canceled and 1,975 were delayed on Wednesday, with airports in Houston,
Atlanta and New Orleans being most impacted by the storms. On Tuesday, 2,353 flights
were canceled and 5,002 were delayed.
Amtrak announced that service in the south and Midwest has
been modified due to the extremely cold temperatures. Officials said the winter
weather, “may lead to additional cancellations or delays.”
Original Text
A rare winter storm bringing heavy snow, sleet, and ice throughout the southeastern U.S. is having a significant impact on travel in the region.
The potentially historic storm has triggered warnings across eight states and has already led to hundreds of flight cancellations. In addition, governors in Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi declared states of emergency ahead of the storm.
Temperatures across the region were expected to drop into single digits Fahrenheit on Tuesday, according to Reuters. Snow, combined with ice and wind gusts as powerful as 40 miles per hour, are poised to make travel challenging for several days.
The National Weather Service's latest update reported that "snow and icy conditons have developed across the Gulf Coast and will expand eastward throughout the day." There's also an Extreme Cold Warning active for southeastern Texas and western Louisiana and winter weather advisories in effect from Texas to southern Virginia.
Here's how the weather has affected flights already throughout the region.
Flights are being cancelled throughout the South amid what may be a historic winter storm. (Photo Credit: Courtesy AdobeStock)
About 960 flights departing or bound for Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport were canceled on Tuesday.
Dozens of flights were also canceled or delayed at Charleston International Airport (CHS). There, more than 25 flights that were scheduled to depart Charleston after 3:30 p.m. were canceled and several others delayed, according to the CHS flight tracker. A similar number of inbound flights were also canceled or delayed.
Airport officials in Charleston said they're monitoring conditions and are “fully prepared” to address any issues related to snow or ice.
“It’s really the icing event is what we’re obviously concerned about,” Elliott Summey, executive director and CEO of the Charleston International Airport, said. “We’ve bought the right equipment in. We’ve got the right chemical equipment as well to be able to break up that ice quickly, keep the runways open and keep the roads open.”
Similarly, more than half of the flights taking off Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning from the Myrtle Beach International Airport were canceled. Decisions in Myrtle Beach are being made by the airlines and not the airport, Myrtle Beach International Airport Spokesman Ryan Betcher said.
“Mostly what we’re seeing is airlines canceling preemptively,” Betcher said.
Myrtle Beach is expecting snowfall Tuesday night between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m., with almost 3 inches of snow possible. Along with the snow, below-freezing temperatures hit Myrtle Beach's Grand Strand this week.
As of Tuesday afternoon, airlines at the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport were also preemptively cancelling flights due to the inclement weather expected to hit that region.
All incoming flights this evening are canceled, said Lori Lynah, a spokesperson for the airport. The conditions on the runways Wednesday will determine the scale of delays for tomorrow and in the coming days in Savannah.
“It’s a moving target,” Lynah said. “So it’s best to check with carriers.” There have been 10 delays and 30 cancellations at the airport as of Tuesday, according to Flight Aware. Ultimately, the snow and frozen precipitation will cause problems on the airport’s runways.
Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport does not have road salt or plows on hand to clear the runways, Lynah said. At the moment, the exact number of cancellations and delays is unclear. Those traveling this evening and in coming days are encouraged to check with their airline to confirm flight information.
Florida’s Pensacola International Airport, meanwhile, ceased all commercial operations on Tuesday as the storm unfolded. Officials there were expecting 4-6 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.
"All commercial operations are CLOSED TUESDAY due to the incoming winter weather. Please check with your airline directly to determine your flight schedule," the airport posted in a travel advisory update on Instagram.
A winter storm warning is in effect in Pensacola until 6 a.m. on Wednesday. An extreme cold warning is also in effect for northwest Florida.
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