Live updates: Rare winter storm hitting Gulf Coast could bring historic snowfall

The Gulf Coast region, where wintry precipitation is expected to cause significant disruptions from Texas to the Carolinas by Wednesday.

Heavy snowfall arrived early Tuesday morning in cities like Austin, San Antonio, and Houston, with up to two inches reported across the state thus far. Louisiana and Florida are poised to be among the states most heavily impacted by the snowfall, with Louisiana potentially experiencing its largest snowfall on record in New Orleans. Meanwhile, parts of south Louisiana have been placed under a rare blizzard warning, marking the first time such a warning has been issued for the Gulf Coast.

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Along the Gulf Coast, temperatures are expected to drop to the teens during the coming nighttime hours. The presence of a fresh layer of snow will act as a barrier, keeping cold air near the ground and reducing the amount of solar radiation that's able to pass through.

The extremely low temperatures will pose a threat to individuals, their pets, plants, and also water pipes, which may crack and burst due to the freezing conditions. Not a single state will escape the frigid temperatures in the next two-week period.

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A cold weather advisory includes wind chill forecasts that will make temperatures feel even colder than they actually are. In the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, temperatures will feel below minus-40 degrees from now until at least Wednesday. An additional 35 states, including parts of North Carolina, can expect temperatures to feel as low as minus-10.

A storm of moderate to extreme severity is forecast to affect multiple states in the upcoming time frame.

The Winter Storm Severity Index, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tool that provides assessments of potential winter storm effects based on weather and population, is indicating the possibility of significant impacts in Texas, Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and parts of Florida and Georgia.

The extreme effects of the event are mainly limited to southern Louisiana, whereas, moderate effects are expected to spread into the Carolinas.

By: Ben Noll

7:25 AM: Observations from Lori Rozsa

To keep a close eye on weather conditions and any safety alerts that may be issued by local and state authorities.

It's 7:17 AM: What's behind the cold and snow, and what's driving it?

This region is a part of the polar vortex.

A cold air ring from the Arctic region, usually found near Greenland, is instead blown unusually far south into the United States.

Freezing air is dominating the entire country of the United States on Tuesday.

We can expect the intense weather event to clear up by the end of the week, bringing about more typical temperatures in the following week.

By: Ben Noll

7:16 AM: Snow is falling across various regions of Texas and Louisiana

Tuesday morning, snow was falling and piling up in parts of Texas and Louisiana - specifically in cities like San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Louisiana's Lake Charles, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge.

The powerful storm is expected to intensify as the day goes on, possibly dumping tremendous amounts of snow in multiple cities and regions, affecting Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Florida Panhandle, and the Carolinas.

Sections of southern Louisiana are under a blizzard warning for the first time ever in the region.

Snow is forecast to blanket palm trees and the white sandy beaches along the Gulf Coast, with snowfall totals ranging from 1 to 3 inches in some areas to 3 to 6 inches in others.

Although the snow's visuals may be attractive and interesting, the thick, heavy snowfall poses a potential threat to the local infrastructure and can create hazardous travel conditions.