Gulf Shores may have long embraced the slogan “Small Town, Big Beach,” but after Tuesday’s historic snowfall blanketed the coastal city with 8.75 inches, a new catchphrase is gaining ground: “Small Town,

A major winter storm hits the southern United States, bringing record-breaking snow, sleet, and freezing rain. Thousands of flights are grounded, schools closed, and highways closed.

The NWS said up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of snow fell in the Houston area. Texas transportation officials said more than 20 snowplows were in use across nearly 12,000 lane miles in the Houston area, which lacks its own city or county plows.