Schools and cities from Texas to Georgia are shutting down in anticipation of freezing rain and snow forecast for much of the Southern U.S. The severe weather is expected across a stretch from New Mexico to Alabama starting Wednesday night and early Thursday.

Schools as far south as El Paso, Texas, closed due to a polar vortex that has brought historically low temperatures and snowfall to parts of the U.S.

A winter storm in Texas is causing widespread flight cancellations, particularly in Dallas, a major airline hub.

Another blast of winter storms is closing schools, snarling flights and putting millions of residents on alert across parts of the Deep South and south-central U.S. The storm started dumping