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At least ten dead by historic winter storm in the South

Adverse weather conditions are expected to persist at least through Thursday. Authorities are urging residents to stay indoors and avoid road travel whenever possible.

Tormenta invernal en Pensacola, Florida.

Winter storm in Pensacola, FlaAPN/Cordon Press.

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The unusual storm that has blanketed large parts of the southern part of the country with snow has claimed at least 10 lives. The deaths were recorded from Texas to Georgia, and include road crashes and hypothermia.

Forecasters anticipated it could be the biggest snow and ice storm in a century for some areas north of the Gulf of America. Tuesday left some unusual images, including Floridian and Texas beaches blanketed in white:

Tuesday's arctic cold snap is expected to linger for another day, according to authorities, who have advised the public to continue taking extreme precautions. They urged residents to stay home whenever possible and exercise caution on the roads, which have seen numerous accidents caused by icy conditions.

Some of the affected areas are used to hurricane warnings, not snowstorm warnings. Houston, Texas, for example, has no snowplows to clear the streets, according to the Times. The city is experiencing its first major snowfall in more than 60 years.

New Orleans broke its record for snowfall in a single day. "Wow, what a snow day!" wrote the local National Weather Service (NWS). Its observation station at Louis Armstrong International Airport - bound to cancellations and suspensions - recorded a record eight inches of snow. "This breaks (by a long shot) the previous record of 2.7" set on December 31st, 1963."

The Lake Charles area of Louisiana experienced its first-ever blizzard warning. The announcement was accompanied by detailed explanations for residents unaccustomed to such warnings of high winds and heavy snowfall.

Among the closed routes were sections of Interstate 10, which the Louisiana Department of Transportation is trying to clear with machinery borrowed from neighboring Arkansas.

In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Tuesday for more than a dozen counties. "I encourage all New Yorkers to monitor their local forecast and take precautions to keep themselves and their families safe," she maintained in a statement. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis did the same.

The advisory will remain in effect at least through Thursday, as temperatures are expected to stay low until then. Most measures, including school and business closures, warming shelters, air traffic suspensions, and road closures, will remain in place through Wednesday and will be gradually lifted in the following days.

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