A major winter storm slammed the southern US Tuesday, blanketing parts of the Gulf Coast with record-breaking snowfall in a region largely unaccustomed to extreme winter weather.

A once-in-a-generation snowstorm, tied to the polar vortex event across the Lower 48 states, was plastering the Gulf Coast with record-setting snow and ice on Tuesday.Why it matters: This region isn't equipped to cope with heavy snow,

STORY: A once in a century winter storm is churning its way across the U.S. Gulf Coast, where snow flurries are rare.The National Weather Service said 31 million people were under a snowstorm warning on Tuesday - from southern Texas east through Georgia and north to the Carolinas and into Virginia.