A rare frigid storm charged through Texas and the northern Gulf Coast on Tuesday, blanketing New Orleans and Houston with snow that closed highways, grounded nearly all flights and canceled school for more than a million students more accustomed to hurricane dismissals than snow days.

A major winter storm that slammed Texas and the northern Gulf Coast is spreading heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain across parts of the Florida panhandle and eastern Carolinas

Dangerous below-freezing temperatures with even colder wind chills were also expected to last over much of the week in the region. Authorities say three people have died in the cold weather.

"It's called 'black ice' because it tends to look like the rest of the pavement on the road, although in reality, it's actually clear," the US Forest Service notes. "Black ice forms without creating bubbles, which allows it to blend in with any surface it forms over. Black ice is dangerous precisely because it's hard to detect."

KHOU 11 team coverage of the icy conditions across Houston in the wake of a strong winter storm. The Boring Company’s Hyperloop is set to revolutionize transportation in Texas! Promising ultra-fast travel and cutting-edge technology,

Road conditions are still being monitored across Houston for ice and snow. Brian Mason with the City of Houston OEM has more details on concerns for those driving.