As parts of the nation were battered by anothermassive winter storm, the South found itself in an unfamiliar weather territory.
AccuWeather said blanketsof snowstretched from Charlotte, North Carolina, to High Point, North Carolina. The highest recorded total in the state occurred in Faust, which received up to 22.5 inches of powder.
The cold snap ranks amongthe worst Florida experienced in decades, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. The cold-battered regionsmay not see much reliefas the polar vortex could unleash another surge of bitterly cold air across the central and eastern United States around the middle of February, according to AccuWeather long-range expert Paul Pastelok.
Areas typically not accustomed to frigid temperatures and snowfall braced the frigid blast and, in some cases, made the best of it. Here's a look at how the South coped with winter weather.
Florida man covers himself in frozen iguanas
Iguanas 'freeze' in Florida
Snow reaches Tallahassee
The chill continues:February forecast calls for more polar vortex mayhem
People make the best of winter storm
Jose Castillo of Tarrytown, NY. walks through snow along Route 9 in Tarrytown during the early hours of the winter storm Jan. 25, 2026. The storm was predicted to drop up to a foot of snow on the lower Hudson Valley. A huge winter storm dumped heavy amounts of snow and ice across wide swaths of the U.S." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
See fun faces of people making the best of winter weather
Jose Castillo of Tarrytown, NY. walks throughsnowalong Route 9 in Tarrytown during the early hours of the winter storm Jan. 25, 2026. The storm was predicted to drop up to a foot of snow on the lower Hudson Valley. A huge winter storm dumped heavy amounts of snow and ice across wide swaths of the U.S.
Snow buries Carolina beaches
How cold was it?Just look at Niagara Falls.
See photos from the storm
A fierce Arctic blast of bitterly cold air is poised to overtake much of the central, eastern and southern U.S. over the next few days, dropping temperatures well below average as far south as Florida. See the impact." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Photos show heavy snow, frigid weather from Arctic blast
Afierce Arctic blast of bitterly coldair is poised to overtake much of the central, eastern and southern U.S. over the next few days, dropping temperatures well below average as far south as Florida. See the impact.
Groundhog Day 2026 results aside,here's what real forecasters predict
North Carolinians 'dive' in snowbanks
Read more about how to stay safe in the cold
Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:How Florida and the Carolinas dealt with rare winter weather
