An intense blast of arctic air blanketed the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast with frigid temperatures, and a rare winter storm was expected along the Gulf Coast.

Residents across the country are bracing for dangerously low temperatures while the East Coast contends with a thick blanket of snow.

Snow is likely to fall across South Texas tonight into Tuesday. North Texas will remain mainly dry and quite cold.

Snow and ice may bring major travel disruptions and power outages in the South starting Monday evening, forecasters warned.

Frigid temperatures engulfed the South on Monday ahead of a winter storm that's expected to spread heavy snow and disruptive ice around a region from Texas to north Florida that rarely sees such weather,