ATLANTA — A rare winter storm charging through Texas and the northern Gulf Coast on Tuesday has closed highways and airports and prompted the first blizzard warning for southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana.

Schools are closed, snow is falling in places where it usually doesn't and freezing temperatures are sweeping across the South as a winter storm tracks across states including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi,

Stay updated on road closures, power outages, and weather impacts as a rare winter storm brings snow and icy conditions to Louisiana.

The cold temperatures are coming from a not uncommon expansion in the Polar Vortex, which are counter-clockwise rotating air currents that typically hang over the Arctic.

A National Weather Service office in Louisiana issued its first-ever blizzard warning on Tuesday amid snow and strong winds.

Local interstates and elevated bridges will close early Tuesday morning as freezing temperatures and snow impact the New Orleans area. Interstate 10 will be closed at 4 a.m. in Orleans, Jefferson and St. Charles parishes, according to DOTD.

Snow totals were rivalling all-time records. Officials were urging residents to take precautions and stay off roads.

A rare winter storm charging through Texas and the northern Gulf Coast on Tuesday has closed highways and airports and prompted the first blizzard warning for southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana.

A historic winter storm threatened natural gas shipments from one the biggest US export plants while heavy snow shut schools and airports in Houston and highways in New Orleans.Most Read from Bloomber

A historic winter storm threatened natural gas shipments from one the biggest US export plants while heavy snow shut schools and airports in Houston.

Owen Reilly, 9, was using a metal cookie sheet. “It seemed like it was scientifically impossible for it to snow here,” Owen said, brushing white flakes from his hands. He had never seen it happen in his lifetime.