Millions of people across the northern Gulf Coast braced Tuesday for a rare winter storm that’s expected to scatter heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain around the Deep South as a blast of Arctic air plunges much of the eastern U.S. into a deep freeze.

Houston’s two major airports, George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby, are also closed Tuesday, while Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest, is pretreated roadways and airfield surfaces in preparation for the winter weather, according to spokesperson Andrew Gobeil.

Millions of Americans face an artic blast, including the first-ever blizzard warning for parts of the Gulf Coast.

The National Weather Service said on Jan. 3, 2018, parts of north Florida, along with south Georgia, saw snow accumulate thanks to the first winter storm the Sunshine State had seen since 1989. Georgia of course saw the largest accumulations, up to 2 inches, but the snowfall in Florida was still measurable.

A winter storm prompted a National Weather Service office in Louisiana to issue a first-ever blizzard warning. The storm is causing dangerous conditions from Texas to North Carolina.

So, as the Deep South grapples with the foreign language of snowflake icons making a (for some, repeat) appearance in weather apps, a reality check is in order.

Blizzards are set to bring heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain all the way along the Gulf Coast from Texas to North Carolina - conditions usually only seen further north.

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

As heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain hit parts of the Deep South, a blast of Arctic air plunged much of the Midwest and the eastern U.S. into a deep freeze.

Flight cancellations are mounting as a historic winter storm sweeps across the Gulf Coast. Already, the storm has brought air traffic to a virtual standstill at several airports across parts of Texas and Louisiana.

People in the Deep South are getting a rare winter wonderland today. It's snowing where it almost never does: on beaches, in the French Quarter, and even in Florida.

A winter storm is expected to bring extreme cold and possible record breaking snow to parts of the deep south.