January 31 – February 2, 2023 ice storm facts for kids
GOES-16 satellite image of the storm impacting the South Central United States at 17:36 UTC (11:36 a.m. CST) on January 31
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| Type | |
|---|---|
| Formed | January 31, 2023 |
| Dissipated | Ongoing |
| Lowest pressure | 1,016 mb (30.00 inHg) |
| Power outages | 563,000 |
| Total fatalities | 10 |
| Areas affected | West South Central states |
An ice storm is a type of winter storm where freezing rain falls and coats everything in a layer of ice. This can make roads very slippery and cause power outages. In early 2023, a big ice storm hit the Southern United States, bringing lots of ice and some snow. Sadly, this storm caused 10 deaths. It was unofficially called Winter Storm Mara by The Weather Channel.
How the Ice Storm Formed
This winter storm started when very cold air from the Arctic moved south into the Southern United States. This cold air then met warm, moist air coming from the Gulf of Mexico. When these two different air masses mixed, they created the conditions for the ice storm to form.
On January 31, areas like Tulsa, Oklahoma, saw about an inch of sleet, which is like tiny ice pellets. Sometimes, there was even lightning during the sleet! On the same day, freezing rain fell in Arkansas, including cities like Fayetteville and Fort Smith. It also hit parts of Missouri, affecting cities such as Joplin and Springfield. Freezing rain and sleet reached as far south as Austin and San Antonio on January 31.
Getting Ready for the Storm
People and organizations took steps to prepare for the storm. The Governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, got special winter weather teams from the Arkansas National Guard ready to help. Many schools and universities, like Texas State University and St. Edward's University, decided to close or switch to online classes to keep students safe.
Some delivery services also changed their plans. DoorDash stopped deliveries in central Arkansas on January 31. The USPS also paused mail delivery in north Texas that day. Other big companies like Amazon, FedEx, and UPS operated with fewer services. To help people who lost power or needed a warm place, 60 warming shelters were opened across Texas. Even a professional basketball game between the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards was postponed because of the storm. More than 60 million people, from New Mexico to West Virginia, were under a winter weather alert, meaning they needed to be ready for dangerous conditions.
Storm's Effects
The ice storm had serious effects on the affected regions. Sadly, 10 deaths were linked to the storm. Seven of these were in Texas, two in Oklahoma, and one in Arkansas. Many major highways, including I-10, I-30, I-35W, and I-40, had to be closed. This was because of many car accidents caused by the icy roads. More than 100 car accidents were reported in total.
The amount of ice that built up was significant in some places. For example, Fischer, Texas, had about 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) of ice, and Kingsland, Texas, received 0.67 inches (1.7 cm) of freezing rain. Dallas even set a daily snowfall record on January 31, with 1.3 inches (3.3 cm) of snow.
One of the biggest problems was power outages. In Texas, about 350,000 people lost electricity because ice weighed down tree branches and power lines, causing them to break. About 160,000 of these people were in Austin alone. This was a large number, but it was less than the 4.5 million people who lost power during Winter Storm Uri in 2021.
The storm also affected air travel. Over 1,600 flights were canceled, with 888 of them at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Major airlines like Delta, United, Southwest, and American had to cancel flights. In total, more than 530,000 power outages were reported across the affected areas.
