Dangerous below-freezing temperatures with even colder wind chills were also expected to last over much of the week in the region. Authorities say three people have died in the cold weather.

The New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport closed its doors Tuesday after every flight was canceled due to freezing temperatures and potentially historic snowfall.

A major winter storm that slammed Texas and blanketed the northern Gulf Coast with record-breaking snow moved east Wednesday, spreading heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain across parts of the Florida Panhandle, Georgia and eastern Carolinas. At least four weather-related deaths have been reported.

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

YOU CAN SEE THAT ALL FLIGHTS ARE CANCELED RIGHT NOW. MOST OF THEM WON’T BE BACK ONLINE UNTIL LATER ON THIS AFTERNOON. LEADERS AT MCI ARE MONITORING THOSE CONDITIONS TODAY. THEY EXPECT MOST FLIGHTS TO BE CANCELED THROUGHOUT THE MORNING.

Travelers, including those planning to attend Washington Mardi Gras celebrations in Washington, D.C. this week, are encouraged to monitor the situation to see if they need to change plans.