About 265 million Americans, or nearly 80% of the population, are under cold weather alerts on Tuesday, as dangerous temperatures are felt in at least 43 states.

About 45 million Americans in the South are under winter storm alerts as the largest winter storm in decades slams the Gulf states today from Texas to Florida and up through the Carolina coast.

That storm is bringing the first-ever blizzard warning issued for Beaumont, Texas, and Lake Charles and Lafayette, Louisiana, with observed visibility down to a quarter-mile and wind gusts to 35 mph.

More than 12 million Americans are also under red flag warnings in southern California, with about 3 million tagged with a “particularly dangerous situation” as high winds and desperately dry conditions hold over the already reeling communities.

Extreme cold from coast to coast

Only five of the lower 48 states are not under cold weather alerts Tuesday morning — Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Every other state is either completely shrouded in cold alerts or partially affected.

Record lows were recorded on Monday in several cities, including Colorado Springs, Colorado, were the temperature dropped to 14 degrees below zero. Rawlins, Wyoming, hit 23 degrees below; Alliance, Nebraska, hit 22 degrees below; and Borger, Texas, tied its record low of 1 degree.

Temperatures early Tuesday are below freezing along the Gulf Coast and down to 20 below zero in the north — and those are just the actual temperatures. With wind chills, it feels near 40 degrees below zero in Fargo, North Dakota, and like 18 degrees in Houston, Texas.

Rare record-low temps are possible in Kansas City, Missouri, and in Salina, Kansas. Even this afternoon, wind chills won’t go above 15 degrees below zero in Chicago, Illinois.

On Wednesday morning, the coldest wind chill temps will reach the Northeast where wind chills near zero will hit New York City and D.C. and go below zero in Boston. Farther south in the Great Smokey Mountains, Asheville, NC will feel like -2 on Wednesday morning.

Record lows are possible on Wednesday morning in places like Corpus Christi, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, Mobile, Pensacola along the Gulf Coast and Cleveland and Akron in Ohio.

In the Midwest, many of these cold alerts are in effect through Tuesday morning only. In the South and East, alerts are extended through Wednesday or Thursday depending on the location.

Historic sourthern snow storm

The late 1800s saw a major snow storm along the Gulf Coast, but most of those records are not recognized by the National Weather Service, as it was before accurate reporting of snowfall was set up for these areas.

However, reports of 20 inches in Houston and 8 inches in New Orleans means this storm won’t break those historical numbers, but that was also right around the time electricity was being introduced to Southern cities — so this will likely be the most impactful storm of our modern era, and historic within the last century.

Debilitating travel conditions are expected to be widespread and power outages will be possible — which is dangerous in the life-threatening cold which could also burst pipes.

Local officials are warning residents to be prepared in case of power outage and in some communities there are suggestions to stay home and not travel if they don’t have to.

A first-ever blizzard warning has been issued for Beaumont, TX and Lake Charles, LA and Lafayette, LA with observed visibility down to a quarter-mile and wind gusts to 35 mph. (h/t Wnek)

Already in central Texas more than an inch has fallen in Gonzales and 1 inches has been reported in Taylor. These numbers will be updating all morning as reports come in.

Radar is showing widespread snow from Austin to near Corpus Christi, which will likely see sleet, to Houston to nearly all of Louisiana and into Mississippi and Alabama this morning.