Sleet and snow began to fall across much of the southern U.S. Thursday and more is expected Friday as the second major winter storm sweeps across the country. Winter Storm Cora is expected to bring between four to six inches of snow between Texas and the Carolinas by Sunday. But parts of Arkansas and Tennessee could see up to eight inches.
That's because cold air that usually hangs around the North Pole and the Arctic usually stays put. But every now and then that frigid air comes down across the U.S. The snowstorm is expected to be the biggest in years.
Andrew Dessler, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M says there's no agreement in the scientific community "that climate change is making winter storms more frequent or colder."
The National Weather Service usually starts putting out weather alerts between two and three days before an extreme weather event. Paul Kirkwood, a meteorologist at the agency's Fort Worth office says That gives people enough time to stock up on groceries and supplies.
"When you have these types of systems with snow and the cold air is to try to stay indoors and not drive as much as the roads become very slick and dangerous for people," he says.
By Friday night, the storm is expected to hit Atlanta and Virginia, bringing small amounts of ice. Kirkwood says that's not a major cause for concern at the moment.
"Normally to start having power outages and downed trees," he says," you'll need to see a quarter to a half an inch of ice."
In Dallas more than 1,200 unhoused people found beds through the city's Office of Homeless Solutions. Schools in Fort Worth, Dallas and Arlington closed Thursday and Friday because of the weather. More than 1,000 flights at Dallas Fort Worth were also grounded. In Oklahoma City, schools and businesses closed to encourage people to stay home.
Dessler says extremely cold weather can still strike even though it's true the planet is getting hotter.
"When these very cold events hit, you're shocked because it's like it hasn't happened recently because you've forgotten that it used to happen all the time," he says.
As that frigid air blasts through the southern U.S on into Sunday, dropping temperatures into the low 20s, bust out those layers, wool socks and gloves. They'll keep you warmer than a heavy coat.
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