Winter storm hits US South

Most of the southern half of the US is sitting in the weather version of a restaurant deep freezer, as a “generational winter storm event” brings record-setting snow and ice.

• Governors in Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi have all declared states of emergency.
• F​lorida has likely broken its state snowfall record.
• The city of Mobile, Alabama, also set its single-day snowfall record.
• As of Tuesday afternoon, ~3-5 inches of snow had fallen in Houston, the most in a generation.
• Parts of Louisiana have already gotten 10 inches of sneaux. New Orleans also got its first measurable snow since 2009; the city also set its modern snowfall record yesterday.

Crazy stat: The snow that has fallen so far in Nola exceeds the January snowfall in the Twin Cities, as well as Anchorage, Alaska.

No-fly zone: VCs are probably seeking a pitch deck from the storm, given all the disruption it's causing. 2,000+ flights within the US were canceled yesterday (mostly in Texas and Louisiana), with 13,000 more delayed.

❄️ America or Antarctica? The Gulf storm is part of a polar vortex-related blast of arctic air that has brought heavy snow to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, and frigid temperatures to the Rockies and the Upper Midwest. ~278 million people – ~85% of the population of the contiguous US – live in areas expected to see freezing cold over the next seven days.

Stay up to date on the latest storm news here.