Winter Storm Alert – Winter Storm Enzo – January 22, 2025

Extremely cold weather has swept across the United States, with Winter Storm Enzo bringing record-breaking snowfall and widespread disruptions. Cities unaccustomed to such severe winter weather, like New Orleans and Houston, experienced unprecedented conditions, with snowfall totals of over 9 inches in New Orleans and 2 to 4 inches in Houston.

This “once in a lifetime” storm has impacted approximately 40 million residents from Texas to Florida, with over 21 million under winter storm warnings. States of emergency have been declared in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama as hazardous conditions continue to develop.

Gulf Coast refineries are still closely monitoring operations under these extreme weather conditions. Fortunately, no major refining issues have been reported. However, a terminal in North Augusta, Georgia, remains offline due to frozen lines, causing pump issues at the rack. This terminal outage, combined with weather-related challenges, may result in delays in fuel deliveries as we pull from outer markets to service affected areas.

Diesel Operability in Extreme Cold 

These unusually cold temperatures place a significant strain on typical diesel blending approaches. Properly treating diesel is critical to ensuring operational continuity and avoiding gelling issues.

If your site experiences gelling, contact your fuel supplier immediately for assistance. To minimize risks, consider the following steps:

Ensure Winter Treatment: Use winter additives or blends containing kerosene to improve cold flow properties.

Emergency Kerosene Blending: If your tank has room, consider blending with kerosene to reduce the likelihood of gelling.

Have a Re-liquefier on Hand: Keep an emergency re-liquefier on-site to quickly address gelled fuel and restore operability.

For a detailed guide on diagnosing and addressing winter diesel gelling, click here.

Mansfield continues to monitor weather and supply conditions across the country to keep our customers informed and supported during these unprecedented events. Virginia is still currently operating at Code Orange, requesting 48 hours for new deliveries.  

Please contact us with any questions or for assistance with fuel management during this challenging time. 

Stay safe and warm.