A major winter storm slammed the US Gulf Coast Tuesday, blanketing parts of a region largely unaccustomed to extreme winter weather with record-breaking snowfall.

An Extreme Cold Warning is in effect until 10 a.m. Wednesday, as wind chills could drop to as low as 3 degrees in some spots. Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures. An extended period of freezing temperatures could cause ruptured water pipes.