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

For the first time in decades, parts of the Gulf Coast are blanketed in snow. The unusual sight has folks in places like Florida out shoveling — or at least trying to.

It's something very weird and nuanced going on right now,’ says one expert about the potential reasons for the snow blanketing much of the southern U.S.

A major winter storm that slammed Texas and the northern Gulf Coast is spreading heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain across parts of the Florida panhandle and eastern Carolinas.

Tuesday's winter storm spread heavy, record shattering snowfall across the Gulf coast region in a historic, once in a lifetime event.The National Weather Servi

A historic Gulf Coast winter storm left record-breaking snowfall from Texas to Florida and up the Carolina coast, with Louisiana experiencing its first-ever blizzard.

Snow and sleet started falling in Texas as officials begin to close schools and airports. Snow and ice could bring major travel disruptions and power outages from Texas to Florida.

An Extreme Cold Warning is in effect until 10 a.m. Wednesday, as wind chills could drop to as low as 3 degrees in some spots. Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures. An extended period of freezing temperatures could cause ruptured water pipes.

For most locations along the Gulf Coast, it has been more than 20-30 years since 2″+ of snowfall has fallen. After Tuesday, most of these locations set records in the snowfall department.

A rare winter storm has left parts of the Gulf Coast covered in snow, breaking records across Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. Houston experienced its snowiest day in over 50 years, while New Orleans saw its first snow in more than a decade,