A storm dropping a wintry mix also sent temperatures plunging across the southern Plains, prompting a power emergency -- and some snow! -- in Texas.
Below are some photos submitted by viewers and readers, from our news partners in Houston and San Antonio.
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“Just enjoying the great weather and snow!” captions one happy person.
Here are a few more that made us smile.
JohnCardona
Loving the snow on The Energy Corridor!
Navarro_Ks
My palm tree covered in snow
TroyJones
5 and half inches here
salinasjo
Grandpa giving Bash a push down the driveway
BenGarison
Absolutely unreal!
gabyesparza
Snow in the backyard patio. Babcock and 410
Womack91
Just enjoying the great weather and snow!!!!
Tabitha825
captivatingcoleen
Tricia Thomas
Frozen magnolia
SarahJaneSpyrka
Lilah is loving the snow!
User
La Porte, Texas
Sledding in the driveways, snapping photos of babies and dogs and palm trees ... you have to admit, it’s probably fun if you don’t have to deal with it all winter long.
Winter weather conditions are affecting large portions of the U.S., but it is rare for them to extend this far south. Rotating power outages were initiated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, early Monday morning, meaning hundreds of thousands went without electricity for short periods as temperatures fell into the teens near Dallas and in the 20s around Houston.
“We urge Texans to put safety first,” ERCOT tweeted as it urged residents to reduce electricity use. The council manages the flow of electric power in the state.
“Traffic lights and other infrastructure may be temporarily without power,” the council said.
The council described the rotating outages as a “last resort to preserve the reliability of the electric system as a whole,” adding that utility transmission companies are tasked with determining how to reduce demand on the system.
“Every grid operator and every electric company is fighting to restore power right now,” ERCOT President and CEO Bill Magness said in a statement.
The rotating outages were expected to last throughout Monday morning.
Nearly 2.6 million customers in Texas were in the dark as of 8:20 a.m. CST, according to poweroutage.us, a utility tracking site.
Officials in Houston had warned people to prepare for outages and hazardous roads — conditions similar to what residents might see in the wake of a Category 5 hurricane. George Bush International Airport in Houston closed Monday morning due to ice accumulation on runways.
“There (have) been numerous reports of accidents from icing recently,” National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Oravec said Monday. “I think there’s going to be a big threat today as the system pushes northeastward.”
The region had been gearing up for the winter weather for the better part of the weekend. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for all of the state’s 254 counties. Abbott, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson each activated National Guard units to assist state agencies with tasks including rescuing stranded drivers.
President Joe Biden also declared an emergency in Texas in a statement Sunday night. The declaration is intended to add federal aid to state and local response efforts.