Since the snowstorm “Snowmageddon” in 2014, the United States has not seen cold winters in the Northeast/Southeast regions as often as they used to. The South has not seen temps like this since the mid-to-late 20th century. Until recently, the entire country has been experiencing heaps of cold spells. Pennsylvania is seeing temps in the single digits, Georgia is experiencing weather like no other and accumulating mass amounts of snow and ice, and Texas is violently getting hit with ice storms. It’s winter time folks, and it’s here to stay.
Winter Storm Cora was predicted early on and it was highly anticipated by some of the top weather services in the country. Even in its build-up stages across the Rio Grande River in Mexico, cities, and communities were being warned. As the storm built up its strength, it slowly became more and more vicious. Starting in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, the storm powered through the Southern Midwest from Missouri all the way to Northern Georgia, leaving residents stunned. The storm continually got stronger over time as it moved further north toward Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The Northeast regions experienced whipping winds, heavy snowfall, and extreme amounts of ice. Already being layered with winter effects beforehand, the Northeast residents were in shock.

The South does not experience traumas like this often. In Northern Georgia, over 250,000 people were left without power for days in the frigid temperatures. Watkinsville, Georgia was covered with snow and ice before 8 AM on Friday, January 10, 2025. The heaviest part of the storm had not yet hit. The town was already over 2,500 residents without power and the numbers continued to climb. Southerners are not equipped for events like this. Transportation officials in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia are somewhat prepared for a light snow storm with accumulations of around a half an inch to an inch. Any of the states further to the south were in complete shutdown mode with this emergency. Government offices, schools, businesses, and even stores had closed immediately.
Most vehicles in the Southeast are not equipped for extreme winter conditions. The majority of people do not need a vehicle with 4WD or AWD because of the rare occasion of snow and the terrain does not call for it. The South is mostly flatlands, except with some rolling hills in Alabama.
Most vehicles in the north tend to have winter tires or all-season tires put on prior to the wintertime. Northern citizens often carry blankets, water, a first aid kit, and warm clothes in case of a highway emergency or if their car breaks down.
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, also known as the world’s busiest airport, had cancelled at least 1,000 flights by Friday. On an Atlanta interstate interchange curve, there was an accident involving eight tractor trailers, simply because the roads were not taken care of and the drivers were not used to driving in the conditions.
While the South got the worst of the storm, the northeast part of the country got hit hard as well. Ohio interstates along the Pennsylvania border and into parts of West Virginia were covered with slush and snow for two days straight. Transportation workers worked around the clock to keep up the best they could, but Cora would not let up.
Luke Monteparte, a municipal worker for Unity Township Municipal Authority, and a 2015 Greater Latrobe graduate said, “It’s important that we pre-treat roads to hold off snow and ice for as long as possible. As the snow builds up and as traffic drives over it, the snow tends to become compact and turn to a solid, or in other words, ice, which is extremely dangerous for everyone.”
The Northeast has been getting hit with snow for all of the new year. Areas in Western Pennsylvania have had up to ten inches of snow spanning into areas of New York and Massachusetts with multiple feet of snow.
“Heavy snow tends to bring down power lines and downed power lines energize the ground which can be deadly. If you are in an accident or emergency always remember to dial 911 so the proper procedures can be taken to make the scene safe. We advise that in future snowstorms that the people only leave their house in the event of an emergency, and if possible park in your driveway or garage to give plow trucks and officials as much access to the roads as possible to do their job correctly,” said Monteparte.
While many states are experiencing the stifling cold and being overtaken by inches of snow, the cold spell isn’t quite over yet. Satellite and weather outlook models according to NWS (National Weather Service) are showing that the Northeast will be getting hit with the coldest temperatures yet. The Northeast is looking to see temperatures plummet into the single digits with wind chills in the negatives from January 19-22. On top of all of the harsh snow, NWS is projecting another 2-4 inches of snow to hit Western Pennsylvania on Sunday, January 19 into Monday, January 20, 2025.