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Is the South ready for snow? A look at forecasts in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, more

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Is the South ready for snow? A look at forecasts in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, more

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A major winter storm is expected to slam portions of the central, southern and eastern United States this week, bringing heavy snow and strong winds that are likely to snarl travel and knock out power.

The National Weather Service said Thursday morning the storm will move out of Northern Mexico and advance eastward to the Western Gulf Coast by Thursday evening, and to the Central Gulf Coast by Friday morning.

“The storm will move northeastward to western Florida by Friday evening and to the southern Mid-Atlantic Coast by Saturday,” the weather service said Thursday morning.

The NWS said the system will produce heavy snow along with ice and freezing rain from the Southern Plains to the southern Mid-Atlantic by Saturday.

A large area of moderate winter weather impacts will be associated with the storm, with the weather service forecasting “widespread closures, treacherous travel, scattered power outages, and downed branches” from the Red River Valley and southern Ozarks through the Lower Mississippi Valley, Tennessee Valley, and Southern Appalachians.

“Some of the heaviest snowfall will be over the Tennessee Valley, which will be 6 inches on Friday,” the NWS said.

Here’s a look at weather forecasts for parts of the southern U.S. that may be hit hardest with snow and ice amid the impending winter storm Cora.

Winter storm Cora: Another winter storm is brewing: See which states are expected to see snow, ice

Alabama weather forecast

The northern half of the state could see snow, according to the NWS forecast office in Birmingham.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has issued a state of emergency for 37 counties in anticipation of the expected winter weather, according to Montgomery Advertiser, a part of the USA TODAY Network.

Montgomery Public Schools, Autauga County Schools, and Elmore County Public Schools will have classes virtually Friday in anticipation of winter weather, the systems have announced.

Arkansas weather forecast

Portions of northern, western, and central Arkansas, including the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, are expected to receive the greatest snowfall accumulations, according to the weather service.

The capital of Little Rock and the areas north of it are expected to get around 6-7 inches of snow, while areas south are projected to get slightly less.

Florida weather forecast

Florida is expected to experience damaging freezes along the central Gulf Coast and the Florida Peninsula between Thursday and Sunday.

If subfreezing temperatures weren’t bad enough, AccuWeather meteorologists say cold rain will hit areas along the Interstate 10 corridor through Jacksonville, including the Florida Panhandle and Tallahassee. While a southern track could provide just the right conditions for a bit of snow, the storm is predicted to bring mainly rain to the state.

Georgia weather forecast

Snow is expected to move into West Georgia early Friday morning and continue to push east through the day, the NWS said Thursday morning.

Areas across northern Georgia will see 1 to 3 inches of snow with this system, with higher amounts likely in the higher elevations of the north Georgia mountains. A mix of precipitation types is most likely in Atlanta and southwards, according to the weather service.

“Changes in the forecast could result in accumulating snow farther south than shown,” the NWS said.

Louisiana weather forecast

A Winter Storm Warning went into affect at 6 a.m. local time Thursday for most of northwestern Louisiana, according to the weather service, and will last through noon on Friday.

Heavy mixed precipitation is expected in portions of northwest Louisiana, with total snow accumulations between 2-6 inches, with locally higher amounts north of Interstate 30, and ice accumulations up to a third of an inch.

Texas weather forecast

Combined snow and sleet amounts between 2-5 inches are forecast for the Dallas area, especially along and north of I-20, according to the NWS.

“There is an increasing threat for intense banded snowfall north and northeast of the Metroplex which may result in isolated snowfall accumulations between 8-10 inches resulting in higher impacts,” the NWS said Thursday morning.

The coverage of winter precipitation is expected to increase Thursday, especially in the afternoon and evening across much of North Texas, the NWS said.

A wintry mix is likely across parts of Central Texas, but will mostly result in cold rain, according to the weather service.

Contributing: Alex Gladden, Montgomery Advertiser

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.

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