A major winter storm prompts blizzard warnings, dumping heavy snow and sleet in a region where even flurries are a rare sight.

The snow storm could hit over a dozen states through Wednesday, including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.

A rare and potentially historic winter storm is bringing heavy snow to Texas and the Gulf Coast while nearly 220 million people across 40 states are facing dangerously cold temperatures from an arctic blast that arrived over the weekend.