A major winter storm that slammed Texas and blanketed the northern Gulf Coast with record-breaking snow moved east Wednesday, spreading heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain across parts of the Florida Panhandle, Georgia and eastern Carolinas.

At least four people have been killed as a once-in-a-generation winter storm grips the South.Heavy snow blanketed Texas and the northern Gulf Coast on Tuesday, causing highway closures around New Orleans and Houston as most flights in the region were grounded.

In eastern North Carolina, drifting snow was expected with near-blizzard conditions in the state's Outer Banks, where up to 8 inches could fall

A brutal winter storm has crippled the southeast and left usually-warm residents under record-high amounts of snow.

Record cold temperatures are expected through Thursday for two-thirds of the eastern part of the U.S., and wind chills could be as low as 40-55 degrees below zero in some areas.

Snow covered the white-sand beaches of normally sunny vacation spots, including Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Pensacola Beach, Florida. 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 U.S. into a deep freeze.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — 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.