Airports across the U.S. South, including those in Texas and Louisiana, announced unprecedented closures this morning as a winter storm sweeps the region. Houston and the surrounding areas had reported one to three inches of snow by late morning, and several states have declared emergencies, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.
Commercial and general aviation flight operations have been shut down across the region. The Lake Charles National Weather Service issued what it called its first-ever blizzard warning for several counties along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana.
A notam for Houston Hobby Airport (KHOU) at 5:05 a.m. CST today indicated that the airport is closed except for helicopter operations. Another notam issued at 10:13 a.m. CST indicated that the control tower at KHOU is closed until 5:00 a.m. tomorrow. Galaxy FBO at KHOU posted images of the ramp coated in snow, with more falling.
"While the snow totals were not as much as we feared, we anticipate the cold temperatures will make natural snow removal process a bit difficult," John Bridi, regional manager of Galaxy FBOs at KHOU and Conroe North Houston (KCXO), said in an email to AIN. Both FBOs will remain open throughout the day to serve emergency flights and respond to customer needs. Bridi anticipates airport reopenings by tomorrow.
The FAA’s National Airspace System (NAS) dashboard lists the following closures for today: KHOU, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (KIAH) in Houston, and Jack Brooks Regional Airport (KBPT) in Jefferson County, Texas; Lake Charles Regional Airport (KLCH), Lafayette Regional Airport (KLFT), Alexandria International Airport (KAEX), Acadiana Regional Airport (KARA), and Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (KBTR), in Louisiana; Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (KGPT) in Mississippi; and Monterey Regional Airport (KMRY) in California, although it is unclear if the latter is due to winter weather conditions that are affecting the Gulf Coast.