Texas is preparing for severe winter weather. An area stretching from Texas to Tennessee braced Wednesday for the possible arrival of freezing rain and snow even as some other parts of the U.S. hit by the plunging polar vortex this week began to shake off its icy effects.

With the Midwest and mid-Alantic still digging out from a major winter storm, another one is forecast to sweep across the South and eastern United States this week, bringing snow, sleet and freezing rain from Texas through the Carolinas.