The combination of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and Arctic air spilling south from Canada is resulting in a long-duration ice storm for millions of people, across at least eight states.

The big picture: At least two people in Texas have died as sleet, snow and freezing rain snarled road and air travel in Dallas on Tuesday.

Another person, a 45-year-old man, died Monday night after his vehicle slid into a highway guardrail near Dallas amid icy road conditions, causing him to roll down an embankment, per AP.

Threat level: The wintry mix, which was falling heavily in some areas, was expected to worsen in the near-term, as the NWS forecast office in Dallas urged people to avoid travel if possible until early Thursday.

Memphis International Airport, the main hub for FedEx, as well as Austin and Nashville, have also been seeing numerous flight cancellations or delays related to the winter storm.

A piece of the polar vortex in the lower atmosphere will whip from Hudson Bay across New England Saturday, sending temperatures plunging amid strong northwesterly winds.