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

A major storm spread heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain across parts of the Florida Panhandle, Georgia and the coastal Carolinas on Wednesday after breaking snow records in Texas and Louisiana, treating the region to unaccustomed perils and wintertime joy.

Wind gusts as high as 22 mph on Friday could mean wind chill temperatures in the upper 30s in parts of Palm Beach County.

In the wake of this rare snowfall, it's transformed the Sunshine State into an otherworldly winter wonderland, and social media is buzzing with stunning photos of icy beaches, snow-dusted palm trees, and surreal frozen landscapes.

A 1,400-pound great white shark pinged in Florida waters for the 9th time this month. Wednesday's ping came right after snow blanketed North Florida.

As a winter storm moves through Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, some school districts are beginning to announce if classes will resume.

Around 40 million people in the U.S. are under a winter storm warning from an unusual blast of severe winter weather.

Dangerous below-freezing temperatures with even colder wind chills were also expected to last over much of the week in the region. Authorities say three people have died in the cold weather.

It's something very weird and nuanced going on right now,’ says one expert about the potential reasons for the snow blanketing much of the southern U.S.

The winter storm that moved through Florida on Tuesday into Wednesday is one for the record books, smashing the previous all-time high for snowfall in the Sunshine State.

Pensacola had official total of 7.6 inches, while Milton hit 8.8. Unofficial totals by Weather Service could be as high as 9.8 inches.