Snow, Sleet And Ice Hit The U.S. South Tuesday Jan 28,2014

A rare blast of snow, sleet and ice hit the U.S. South on Tuesday Jan 28,2014 prompting three states to declare a state of emergency, closing the New Orleans airport and causing chaos on roads for drivers unaccustomed to the dangerously slick conditions

• Louisiana
• Mississippi and 
• North Carolina 

each declared a state of emergency, telling motorists to stay off the roads.

The southern cold snap is part of an arctic front that has put much of the Northeast and northern Plains under warnings and advisories for severe wind chills.

Temperatures in parts of those regions could feel as cold as minus 30 Fahrenheit (minus 34 Celsius) on Tuesday Jan 28,2014

Temperatures are forecast to hit a low of 23 degrees Fahrenheit (-5 Celsius) in New Orleans on Tuesday night and the city could see its first snowfall in years

North Carolina and South Carolina were expected to get the most snow, while the heaviest ice accumulation was forecast from Louisiana to the Carolinas

Rain and freezing temperatures combined to snarl the morning commute through large parts of central Texas and Louisiana, where roads and bridges were iced over.

Delta Air Lines officials say more than 1,800 flights have been canceled ahead of a winter storm expected to pelt areas of the Southeast with sleet and snow

The airline is offering travelers the opportunity to make one-time changes to their tickets without a fee if they're traveling through Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, the Carolinas and Texas. Delta officials expected service to be affected between Jan. 28 and 29, and replacement tickets must be reissued by Feb. 1,2014
The airport hardest-hit by cancellations Tuesday was also the world's busiest: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, where a total of 863 inbound and outbound flights had been cancelled by 9 a.m.

The rare Southern winter storm dropped more than 3 inches of snow in some areas of north Georgia, while 2.3 inches were recorded at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport

"Residents should not overreact but should make plans now to ensure they are prepared for prolonged freezing conditions and icy roadways," Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant said

Forecasters were predicting snow and ice from Texas to Virginia by mid-week as precipitation moving in from the south met with cold air already chilling the region.