Freezing rain and snow was forecasted to move into the southern U.S. Wednesday, setting up days of bad weather from Texas to the U.S. East Coast.
Snow, sleet and frozen rain was expected to affect an area that stretched from New Mexico to Alabama, starting on Wednesday night. Portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas were forecasted to see the worst of the weather, where forecasters warned freezing rain could cause particular trouble on the roads.
The Dallas region could get as much as four inches of snow, along with freezing rain, according to the National Weather Service. Texas has begun treating roads and has opened warming centers in advance of the storm.
Through Friday, the system is forecasted to move northeast, to affect northeastern Texas through Virginia and the coast of North Carolina. Parts of the path, including Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia, could receive as much as eight inches of snow.
Some state and city offices in Georgia are closing in anticipation of the foul weather. In Little Rock, Arkansas, schools will be closed Thursday and Friday as the storm moves through.
In Richmond, Virginia, a boil-water advisory was expected to stay in effect until at least Friday after storms knocked out power to municipal water reservoirs. Virginia's legislative session was also postponed.
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There were some 260 cancellations at U.S. Airports Wednesday and more than 3,400 delayed flights, according to FlightAware.com.
Treacherous roads and cold temperatures also contributed to fatalities. There were three deaths in vehicle crashes in Virginia, two fatal crashes over the weekend in Kansas, and fatal accidents related to the weather in West Virginia and North Carolina.
In Alabama, officials are investigating three deaths possibly due to hypothermia.
