Winter Storm Enzo To Bring Snow, Ice Threat To Gulf, Southeast Coasts Beginning Monday

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A challenging snow and ice threat is forecasted to materialize from Texas, at least as far east as the Carolinas, during the first half of the coming week.

This storm has been designated as Winter Storm Enzo by The Weather Channel.

(​MORE: Since most major snow events receive widespread media attention, weather forecasters and scientists opt to assign a name to these events to distinctively identify them and avoid confusion with other winter storms. )

Here are some of the things that we do know going forward:

• Moisture is likely to spread out across the coldest air we'll see all season.

• The window for this interaction will open by late Monday evening or early Tuesday, and may last as late as Wednesday.
• Areas along the Gulf Coast and in the Southeast might experience snow, freezing temperatures, or a combination of both within that timeframe.
• A small section of the South may see a significant amount of snow, potentially making travel difficult.
• At this time, it's too early to provide accurate forecasts for snowfall or ice accumulation due to the high level of uncertainty in the model predictions, but we're starting to get a clearer view of where snow and ice are expected to occur.
• (This forecast will be revised over the next couple of days. We recommend checking back for updated information and not relying solely on the forecast we're currently showing.)

Which combines innovative technology with people referring to the advantages and challenges of using social media to forecast snowfall in various parts of the United States. Knowing the Basics )

Confidence in the situation is high enough that winter storm watches have been posted from Texas to Mississippi. This means that potentially hazardous conditions are expected, with heavy snow, ice, and wind posing a threat. Roads may become snow- or ice-covered, and power outages could occur.

A winter storm watch has been issued for both Houston and New Orleans.

Here's a day-by-day breakdown of the approaching winter storm and some other details to keep in mind.

Tonight: Dominant heat and humidity continue to prevail as a complex low-pressure system moves east out of the Rocky Mountains. Over the next several days, our weather will be dry and hotter than average due to a strong temperature gradient in the region.

• A collision of cold and moisture is expected to take place over Texas and Louisiana by late Monday.
• It's probable that there will be an area of snow, sleet, and freezing rain, particularly near and south of Interstate 20 down to the Gulf Coast.
• Numerous major Texas cities are at risk of facing snow and/or ice, including Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Corpus Christi.
• The forecast remains uncertain regarding how far north the wintry weather will reach, so adjustments in the forecast are likely.
• There is a threat of ice for parts of South Texas, extending from Galveston to the Rio Grande Valley.

T​uesday's Forecast

• Closures, concerning travel, power and other infrastructure disruptions are possible from eastern Texas to southern Mississippi.
• Snow and ice will move further east along the Gulf Coast into southern parts of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, the western part of Florida and the Carolinas.
• For the time being, precipitation will fall as snow in areas north of Interstate 10 and as rain or a mix of the two in regions along and south of Interstate 10.
• Precipitation is expected to start on Tuesday in the Florida panhandle as regular rain. As the evening hours approach, this rain might turn into freezing rain or sleet as temperatures drop.
• Strong gusts of wind over 30 miles per hour are possible near the Gulf Coast. This could cause loose snow to drift around and potentially break branches.
• The northern limit of that moisture, and therefore snow and ice, is highly uncertain.

T​he End? Wednesday's Forecast

• The system will push snow and ice from the Southeast into the mid-Atlantic coast by lunchtime.
• Rain is more likely across Florida from Tuesday night through early Wednesday, but some freezing rain may be possible in northern Florida during the morning hours.
• Observe the question mark at the end of the statement "The End?": Several computer models indicate that another batch of rain, snow, or ice may sweep across the Southeast coast and move into the mid-Atlantic later in the week.

(​Winter Storm Season 101: 4. **Rime Ice:** A type of ice that forms when supercooled water droplets freeze onto a surface, creating a clear, white, or transparent coating. )

A First Glimpse: Snowfall Predictions

A band of heavy snow may fall somewhere between southeast Texas and the eastern Carolinas with this storm. The exact amount that will fall and exactly where the highest totals will occur remains uncertain.

There's also a zone from northern Florida to the South Carolina coast, and southern Texas, that may gain enough ice to make tree branches bend and roads slippery.

Some major southern cities are expected to receive at least some snow and/or ice, including Houston, New Orleans, Mobile, Tallahassee, and Charleston.

Winter Meets in a Common Tricky Setup

The setup for this snow and ice threat is typical as we move past late January and into the latter part of the winter season.

Across the lower 48 states, a broad expanse of cold air will have settled in by early next week. Overnight temperatures will be below freezing all the way down to the Gulf Coast by that time.

(​MORE: For most people in the South, snow and ice storms are a rare occurrence, and many become frustrated when they do occur. )

The trickiness in this type of forecast often lies in the moisture aspect: how much moisture manages to sneak into that cold air and how long it stays there.

We often see several batches of moisture move into the cold air, resulting in multiple snow, ice, or mixed precipitation events. This sequence of winter weather may last anywhere from a day to over a week. The initial event we're discussing could be just the start, and we should continue to monitor the forecast for potential additional threats in the coming days.

Jonathan Belles has served as a graphics meteorologist and writer. weather.com He has worked in the field for 8 years, and also assists in producing weather videos for The Weather Channel en español. His preferred type of weather is tropical, but he also enjoys covering significant weather events and news stories about winter storms. He's a two-time graduate of Florida State University and also a graduate of St. Petersburg College.