The heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain hitting parts of the Deep South came as a blast of Arctic air plunged much of the Midwest and the eastern US into a deep freeze.

MIAMI - A major winter storm is moving into northern Florida on Tuesday, bringing what will potentially be record-breaking snowfall totals in spots, the threat of accumulating ice and locally treacherous travel conditions.

From Texas through the Deep South, down into Florida and to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, snow and sleet made for accumulating ice in New Orleans, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Florida and other major cities.