Snow was falling in the Houston area Monday night, forecasters said, as more than 55 million people could be affected by a historic winter storm expected to bring rare snow and frigid temperatures throughout the Gulf Coast region until midweek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The storm was bringing snow, sleet and dire warnings about the dangers of icy roads in Houston on Monday night. In the New Orleans area, wind chill temperatures\u2002in the teens<\/a>, as well as snow and a glaze of ice<\/a>, were forecast for Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both of Houston\u2019s major airports, George Bush Intercontinental Airport<\/a> and Hobby Airport<\/a>, said they will suspend flight operations Tuesday starting at midnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry warned Monday that people should stay home and remember to prevent pipes from freezing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is extremely important to stay off the road,\u201d he said at a news conference. \u201cUnless you absolutely need to be on the road, stay at home and stay warm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of the area will get a dusting of up to 4 inches of snow, but the accumulations in parts of Texas and Louisiana could reach 6 inches, forecasts indicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But in Houston and other parts of southeast Texas, ice was a major fear. \u201cThe roadways are going to be completely impassible\u201d Houston police Capt. Reece Hardy said\u2002in a late night video<\/a>, pleading with residents to stay home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The National Weather Service office for Houston said Monday night that snow had moved across southeast Texas and would only get more intense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moderate snow is expected by Tuesday along I-10 from New Orleans to the Florida Panhandle, and icy conditions should prevail in Tallahassee and Jacksonville, Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The winter storm could be crippling to the Gulf Coast, where most cities do not have snowplows, national forecasters said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n