Winter storm hits the South

Freezing temperatures continued Wednesday across much of the United States, with a brutal winter storm slated to scatter snow, sleet, and freezing rain across normally balmy Southeast coastal areas. Snow started to fall early Wednesday as far south as Tallahassee, Fla. Officials closed water attractions at central Florida’s largest theme parks—including Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and SeaWorld’s Aquatica—because of the cold snap. Freezing rain coated historic Savannah, Ga., early Wednesday, closing schools, businesses, and City Hall. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency through Friday for 28 counties due to the frigid weather. The snow and freezing rain is expected to spread up the coast to the Carolinas later in the day, with accumulations of 3 to 5 inches in eastern North Carolina. Elsewhere in the United States, dangerously cold temperatures from South Texas to New England have caused at least a dozen deaths. Forecasters in the Chicago area warned of frostbite due to expected wind chills of between minus 35 and minus 20 degrees. Even hospitals in Atlanta have reported a surge in emergency room visits for hypothermia.