A rare and potentially historic winter storm is bringing heavy snow to Texas and the Gulf Coast while nearly 220 million people across 40 states are facing dangerously cold temperatures from an arctic blast that arrived over the weekend.

The snow storm could hit over a dozen states through Wednesday, including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.

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.

A rare frigid storm is charging through Texas and the northern Gulf Coast, blanketing New Orleans and Houston with snow, closing highways and grounding nearly all flights.

Wind gusts as high as 22 mph on Friday could mean wind chill temperatures in the upper 30s in parts of Palm Beach County.