Latest forecast
The latest weather forecast for Wednesday shows waves of freezing rain and sleet continuing to move through the southern Plains and the Mid-Mississippi River Valley, from western Texas to western Tennessee.
Some areas have already accumulated more than a half an inch of freezing rain, as well as 1 to 2 inches of sleet.
Numerous roads and highways have been shut down, many schools have been closed and state of emergencies have been declared in the South due to the icy storm.
Freezing rain and sleet will continue from Texas to Tennessee, before slowly transitioning into just rain as temperatures warm up late Wednesday into Thursday.
The Texas cities of Austin, Dallas and Midland as well as Arkansas’ capital, Little Rock, can expect to see freezing rain on Wednesday evening at around 7 p.m. CT. That ice will turn into rain the next morning at 6 a.m. CT.
Up to half an inch of additional ice accumulation is in the forecast for these areas.
The brutal cold is not expected to last long, however. Much warmer weather is in the forecast by Sunday and into early next week.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo