As extremely cold weather persists in various parts of the U.S., large regions in the South are currently under blizzard warnings due to significant winter storms affecting the area.

In a region more familiar with hurricane warnings, the snow alerts on Tuesday are an unusual occurrence. For a blizzard warning to be issued, the National Weather Service states that conditions must include strong wind gusts of 35 mph or more and snowfall that cuts visibility to 1/4 mile or less for at least three hours.

“We are ready for hurricanes; we have all the necessary equipment and know what to do,” said Lafayette, Louisiana Mayor-President Monique Blanco Boule in a previous interview with YSL News on Tuesday. “This situation is different. We don’t typically have snow equipment to handle what’s coming.”

An arctic air mass covering much of the United States is responsible for what’s being referred to as Winter Storm Enzo. Images from Texas, Florida, Mississippi, and other states show a layer of snow covering areas that are usually coastal.

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Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter. Follow him on X @fern_cerv_.