"It's called 'black ice' because it tends to look like the rest of the pavement on the road, although in reality, it's actually clear," the US Forest Service notes. "Black ice forms without creating bubbles, which allows it to blend in with any surface it forms over. Black ice is dangerous precisely because it's hard to detect."

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It's a snow day across southeast Texas! A Winter Storm brought snow and freezing rain to the greater Houston area.

The National Weather Service expects multiple inches of snow on Tuesday in Southeast Texas. This is the best estimates based on the latest forecasts.

Lighter winds, sunshine and dry conditions will help Southeast Texas thaw today as highs should reach the mid 40s. Following a quiet, slightly milder day, ice will be much more isolated in nature overnight tonight even as lows fall slightly below freezing.

From the lions and leopards to the flamingos and bald eagles, the animals seemed to enjoy exploring the magical snow.

Parts of Central and Southeast Texas woke up to snow Tuesday morning. See photos of videos shared on social media.

The rare winter storm that is hitting the southern portion of the United States became historic Tuesday morning when the Lake Charles National Weather Service office issued its first-ever blizzard warning.

The coldest temperatures of the year hit Houston overnight, with some people in Southeast Texas waking up to temps between 14 and 18 degrees, the coldest since last January's arctic outbreak. According to Space City Weather meteorologist Eric Berger,

Coco Dominguez takes a look at the trouble spots on the roads around southeast Texas on Wednesday morning.

An historic January storm dumped more deep snow along the U.S. Gulf Coast on Wednesday after bringing Houston and New Orleans to a near standstill over the past two days and burying parts of Florida's Panhandle with accumulations more typical of Chicago.

Wednesday morning was cold, but sunshine and light breezes will warm us up into the 40s helping thaw out lingering snow.