Climatologically, it is not supposed to snow in South Florida. The laid-back tropics are a region constantly gaining energy from the sun, and with Florida's temperatures moderated by warm water on three sides, snow is unusual even in the northern reaches of the state.

A rare winter storm churned through Florida, Texas and other parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast. It brought unusually cold temperatures and record snowfalls, causing travel delays and deadly road conditions.

From Houston to Pensacola, nearly 1,000 miles of shoreline along the U.S. Gulf Coast was blanketed in as much as a foot of snow this week. The storm shattered century-old records and left cities like New Orleans,