Schools are closed, snow is falling in places where it usually doesn't and freezing temperatures are sweeping across the South as a winter storm tracks across states including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi,

At least two people are reported dead in Houston as a winter storm system disrupted much of the Gulf Coast and other parts of the nation on Tuesday, causing billions in economic losses.

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

A storm is bringing the first-ever blizzard warning issued for Beaumont, Texas, and Lake Charles and Lafayette, Louisiana.

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - A business office in Lake Charles is accepting donations of new or gently used clothes and shoes for those affected by the wildfires in Southern California. The death toll has risen to 24 as the growing fires destroy thousands of homes in the Los Angeles area.

For the latest updates on the snow, follow USA TODAY's coverage for Wednesday, Jan. 22. LAFAYETTE, La. − A wide swath of the South was targeted by a major winter storm Tuesday as brutally cold temperatures gripped much of the nation,

In a shocking turn of events that shows the rarity of such a winter storm, a blizzard warning has been issued this morning for parts of far southwestern Louisiana, including the city of Lake Charles, and a few Texas counties just across the border.

Dangerous cold temperatures remained across Oklahoma, with the lowest temperatures in nearly four years hitting the state.

Roughly 40 million people from Texas to the Carolinas are under winter weather alerts as a rare winter storm amid bone-chilling temperatures brings potentially historic snowfall to cities unused to harsh, cold weather. Here’s what’s happening now:

A historic winter storm threatened natural gas shipments from one the biggest US export plants while heavy snow shut schools and airports in Houston.

A historic winter storm threatened natural gas shipments from one the biggest US export plants while heavy snow shut schools and airports in Houston and highways in New Orleans.Most Read from Bloomber