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 used to hurricane dismissals than snow days.

A rare, historic snowfall blanketed parts of the southern U.S. on Tuesday, allowing residents to play in the rather unusual weather. Families went snow tubing in Houston. People made snowballs and snow angels. People were even seen skiing on Bourbon Street.

A rare winter storm churned across the U.S. Gulf Coast on Tuesday, bringing heavy snow, ice and wind gusts to a region where flurries are unusual, while much of the United States remained in a dangerous deep freeze.

While Iowa is recovering from a cold snap with negative 30 wind chill, the state is running about 20 to 30 inches below average for seasonal snowfall.

Here's a look at snowfall totals from Tuesday's winter storm that blanketed Houston and parts Louisiana in multiple inches of the white stuff.

That's wild considering it hasn't snowed in New Orleans since 2009, and their last "big" snowstorm was in 2008 when 1-2 inches fell. Up to five inches of snow could accumulate in the Houston area. The all-time record snowfall in Houston is 3.0 inches, so this is very clearly a historic situation.

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.

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 US into a deep freeze.