Millions of people across the northern Gulf Coast braced Tuesday for a rare winter storm that’s expected to scatter heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain around the Deep South as a blast of Arctic air plunges much of the eastern U.S. into a deep freeze.

The National Weather Service says New Orleans set a record for snowfall on Tuesday, with nearly 10 inches. A blast of Arctic air has also plunged much of the Midwest and the eastern U.S. into a deep freeze.