The winter storm could impact up to 170 million people across more than 20 states from the southern Plains to the Midwest and East, AccuWeather said.

Power outages skyrocketed as damage reports continued to come in Tuesday from several states as severe weather raced across portions of Texas and Oklahoma early in the day, and now the line of tornado-producing storms is charging east through Mississippi and Louisiana,

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch that includes New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas until 7 p.m. Tuesday. The threat of severe weather prompted New Orleans Mardi Gras parades to roll early Fat Tuesday and attention is now turning what is in the forecast this afternoon and evening.