A developing storm is expected to bring more wintry weather across the country, threatening the normally warm areas of New Mexico, Texas and other areas in the South with snow and freezing rain starting Wednesday.

Meanwhile, strong winds walloping the West Coast are posing serious fire risks in southern California, with some communities placed under mandatory evacuation notice.

Residents living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area could see 3 to 6 inches of snow by Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. For that metro, which received just 1.5 inches of snow from 2023-2024, it’s being considered a major storm. Further south, the NWS said, light snow, ice and sleet is possible, likely creating dangerous road conditions and impacting travel and schools.

This all comes after a deadly winter storm brought snow and ice from the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic and freezing temps lingered in the South over the weekend. As of Monday, at least four people died and dozens were injured as the storm moved across several states, including Kansas, Illinois, Virginia and the Washington, D.C., area, stranding cars and knocking out power.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate state emergency response resources ahead of the storm.

“With below-freezing temperatures beginning to impact large portions of the state, Texas is increasing the readiness level of the State Operations Center to ensure resources are swiftly deployed to communities,” Abbott said in a statement Tuesday.

He urged residents to “remain weather-aware, regularly monitor road conditions before traveling, and heed guidance from state and local officials.”

Dallas and Fort Worth have activated temporary winter shelters for homeless residents, city officials said Tuesday.

The system forecast to hit Texas may bring several inches of snow to southeastern Oklahoma and western and central Arkansas Thursday into Friday, the NWS said. These forecasts are still early and the NWS cautions that the extent of the storm and possible snowfall could still change.

Tall palm trees sway during extreme gusty winds in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Richard Vogel/AP

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Richard Vogel/AP

Strong Santa Ana winds threaten Southern California

As the South prepped for snow and more cold, some residents in Southern California fled their homes as the NWS said “life-threatening” Santa Ana winds slammed the area and fueled wildfires.

By Tuesday afternoon, winds reached 20-50 mph, but hurricane-force gusts are predicted later to reach 100 mph or more. Strong winds combined with low humidity and dry fuels (of which California has plenty after months of abnormally dry weather) contribute to dangerous conditions and increase risks for wildfires.

Officials in Los Angeles warned that residents living along the path of the Palisades Fire should prepare to evacuate as the fire moved quickly through hills surrounding the area due to the strong winds. Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for people living near Topanga Beach in Los Angeles County.

Thousands of Pacific Palisades residents were urged to evacuate Tuesday as fire exploded amid intense winds.

The current honorary mayor of the celebrity-studded Los Angeles neighborhood, actor Eugene Levy, was fleeing along with other residents. And like many others, the “Schitt’s Creek” actor was stuck in traffic.

“The smoke looked pretty black and intense over Temescal Canyon,” Levy told The Times. “I couldn’t see any flames, but the smoke was very dark.”

The fire was sparked around 10:30 a.m. and quickly grew, threatening many upscale homes to the west.

Residents fleeing down Sunset Boulevard gathered along the Pacific Coast Highway, many calling family members still trapped in traffic; others cried as they finally reunited.

Cavalry Christian School students and teachers posted in the Sunset Beach parking lot, waiting to connect with students and family members. But the smoke quickly moved toward the shore. By noon, ash was dropping from the sky along the coastline.

“I figured it was safer at the beach, but now I’m not so sure,” said Daryl Goldsmith. “The wind is virulent and I just hope things don’t burn down. … The poor fire department couldn’t get up there.”

Goldsmith was at her Palisades home with friends when she spotted the fire. It quickly exploded, she said.

As she rushed to evacuate, her husband stayed behind to help a disabled neighbor escape. Firefighters began directing traffic, but Goldsmith decided to ditch her car in the grass and walk down to the shore.

As she waited at Sunset Beach, her husband was still stuck up the hill.

Residents said when officials first issued evacuation orders, the fire quickly jumped from five miles up Palisades Drive to just half a mile, near Calvary Christian School.

Although evacuees were at first using all lanes of Palisades Drive to escape, fire crews halted cars on the road to fight the new spot down along the evacuation route, said Erin Sheehy, whose husband was stuck in the traffic. Some residents got out of their cars and began walking miles down to the coast.

Evacuees were now waiting for word about their homes.

“It looks grim,” Magnolia Shin said around noon Tuesday, about an hour after she left her house on Piedra Morada Drive. Shin said that she could feel the heat from the flames before she left, which were within 50 yards of her home. She didn’t have time to try to save anything from her home before evacuating.

“I couldn’t even get my rabbit.” she said. “I just left. I just took my purse and drove away.”