A major winter storm slammed the southern US Tuesday, blanketing parts of the Gulf Coast with record-breaking snowfall in a region largely unaccustomed to extreme winter weather.

Heavy snow and freezing temperatures are hitting parts of Texas and the Gulf Coast, causing travel disruptions and prompting a number of Southern governors to declare states of emergency. Winter weather — including low temperatures and storms — involves a number of risks,

A rare frigid storm is charging through Texas and the northern Gulf Coast, blanketing New Orleans and Houston with snow, closing highways and grounding nearly all flights.