A polar vortex has triggered freeze warnings across Texas, leading to dangerous conditions for people and infrastructure.

The Texas Panhandle is set to see the first of this frigid air blowing in from the north. By Thursday night, January 8, snow is slated to start blanketing the region. Through the next 24 hours, icy flakes will continue to fall as temperatures plummet to well below freezing.

National Weather Service locations across Texas have forecast totals from a half-inch to five inches of snow between Monday and Tuesday.

The winter solstice, marking the traditional start of winter, happened at 9:03 a.m. Sunday. It's also the moment when the Northern Hemisphere (where Texas is) is tilted farthest away from the sun, limiting the amount of solar energy that reaches the ground.