The wind chills as low as 15 degrees are expected for parts of Alabama, Georgia and Florida Thursday evening into Friday morning.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said in one of its Thursday statements, "Black ice is difficult to see and distinguish from dry surfaces. The deceptive nature of black ice can catch you unaware while you are driving or walking, causing you to lose control of your motor vehicle or to slip and fall."

Snow totals in Louisiana have broken records. Parts of Florida, Texas and Georgia have also accumulated several inches of snow.

More than 220 million people across the United States are facing dangerous cold that will also open the door for a potentially historic and crippling winter storm that could deliver snow as far south as Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.

Officials warned residents across the South that the effects of a major winter storm were not over, and that driving remained a hazard on roads frozen with slippery ice.

With parts of Los Angeles County still smoldering from wildfires, the expected rain this weekend would seem like a welcome relief. But how the rain falls could make the difference between a disaster respite or a disaster repeat.

Last week's historic Gulf Coast snowstorm helped lock down a rarity in the U.S. as all 50 states have already seen accumulating snow this winter − and all 50 had some at the same time. The power of the storm also created another rarity: Some Southern cities have seen more snow than their Northern brethren.

On Tuesday, a historic winter storm left regions of the South blanketed in snow, including Florida, Texas and Louisiana.

Snow and sleet started falling in Texas as officials begin to close schools and airports. Snow and ice could bring major travel disruptions and power outages from Texas to Florida.

Still, areas not used to digging out from winter weather will face challenges to getting back to normal long after the snow disappears. The storm’s effects could linger for days, weeks, or, in some cases, months. Here are some of the ways it could continue to snarl life in the South:

Vigilance and preparation are important, say forecasters at the NWS, as wintry weather brings hazardous travel conditions.

A sprawling winter storm that is pushing slowly across the United States will bring a risk of severe weather and excessive rainfall to a large part of the south-central United States from Wednesday into Friday. Isolated thunderstorms, flooding rains and damaging winds are all possible in an area between East Texas and western Kentucky.