"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."

Record-setting snow swept throughout states like Louisiana, Texas and Alabama on Tuesday, putting them out of commission through Wednesday.

After shutting down Monday ahead of significant snowfall in Houston, the Houston Airport System announced it planned to reopen airports Wednesday morning. Some travelers got stuck at the airport thanks to the winter storm that slammed southeast Texas with its snowiest day since 1973.