A winter storm had blanketed much of Arkansas in snow by Thursday evening while leaving residents in southern parts of the state coping with a mix of ice and rain.

A potent winter storm is hammering the South with snow and ice, causing major travel disruptions and power outages just a day after it walloped the Plains.

Snow and icy conditions threatened to paralyze parts of the U.S. South from Texas to Alabama on Thursday, as officials closed schools, canceled or delayed flights and warned residents in some of the worst-hit areas to stay off roads as a winter storm moves east.