Weather forecasters and public agencies issued health and power loss warnings Tuesday as a “rare winter storm" gripped parts of the southern and eastern United States."A bitterly cold airmass will remain in place for much of the South and eastern U.

A historic winter storm swept across the Gulf Coast on Tuesday, bringing heavy snow and icy conditions to the Southeast while most of the country was facing dangerously cold temperatures from an arctic blast that arrived over the weekend.

A record-setting snowstorm along the Gulf Coast has Louisiana officials worried people unaccustomed to the cold might overreact in ways that could get them killed. Hence, a strange warning was issued during the storm: Don’t invite alligators, bears and other wildlife into your home.