A major winter storm prompts blizzard warnings, dumping heavy snow and sleet in a region where even flurries are a rare sight.

A record-breaking and rare winter storm hit the southern US Wednesday — dumping snow on New Orleans for the first time in15 years, and triggering the Gulf Coast’s first ever blizzard warning. The historic snowfall — which slammed areas from Florida to Texas starting Tuesday — snarled travel and brought daily life to a halt in regions unprepared for the freak weather event.