Airports are readying for major disruptions in Texas, Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast before anticipated wintry blast.

Weather forecasters and public bodies issued health and power loss warnings Tuesday as a “rare winter storm" gripped part of the southern and eastern U.S.

A historic winter storm is expected to bring rare heavy snowfall and ice to states along the Gulf Coast and could impact as many as 55 million people through midweek, according to national forecasts.

A winter storm will bury parts of the Deep South with snow through early Wednesday. Here’s a forecast for key cities in its path.

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.

A historic winter storm is about to unfold across the Gulf Coast states with accumulating snow and dangerous ice from Texas to Florida, including major cities and highways. "This will be a rare and especially dangerous winter storm right along the upper Gulf Coast that will result in major and lengthy disruptions to travel,

During his inauguration speech Monday, President Donald Trump repeated his promise to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. "A short time from now we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America," Trump said, during a description of his plans for his first actions as the 47th president.

That's wild considering it hasn't snowed in New Orleans since 2009, and their last "big" snowstorm was in 2008 when 1-2 inches fell. Up to five inches of snow could accumulate in the Houston area. The all-time record snowfall in Houston is 3.0 inches, so this is very clearly a historic situation.

Most of the United States is being assailed with extreme winter weather this week as Arctic air blasts south from Canada, snow tracks up the Northeast coast and a potentially crippling winter storm takes aim at the South.

Another massive winter storm is forecast to pummel the southern and eastern U.S., with impacts from Texas to the Carolinas.