Winter storm Octavia hammered parts of the Mid-Atlantic and the South with snow and ice on Tuesday, creating treacherous road conditions, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and resulting in five deaths.

The five deaths reported -- three in Tennessee, one in North Carolina and one in Kansas -- were caused by icy roads, reports the Weather Channel.

The storm blasted across Kansas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Georgia, dispersing freezing rain and snow that caused power outages and minor car accidents. Power companies say about 75,000 customers in Georgia are without power.

Officials in the south, hoping to avoid a repeat of the winter 2014 catastrophe that left people stuck in cars or abandoning vehicles in Atlanta and Raleigh, urged people to stay off the icy roads.

Mardi Gras revelers on "Fat Tuesday" in New Orleans had to dress warm because of unseasonably low temperatures in the 30s and 40s.

Though Greenville, South Carolina, rarely experiences severe winter weather, its roads were slick with a half inch of ice Tuesday morning.

A quarter inch of snow and ice was forecasted for Central North Carolina while up to 3 inches of snow and sleet was expected for the northeastern part of the state.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said at a morning news conference that 56,000 customers were without power.

Schools and government offices closed for the day as the Carolinas and Georgia experienced power outages. More than 1,400 domestic flights were canceled Tuesday, reports FlightAware.

Outside of the south, Washington saw 2-6 inches of snow. For the first time this winter, the federal government closed its Washington-area offices for non-emergency personnel.

Across the Potomac River from Washington, Arlington streets were clear but there was little activity.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency after more than 500 wrecks were reported. Over a hundred Virginia National Guardsmen were dispatched to help stranded motorists and clean up storm debris.

Northeast states endured more harsh weather following winter storm Neptune. Some parts of Indiana received more than 8 inches of snow while southern New Jersey and suburban Philadelphia coped with several inches of accumulation.

The storm was the worst of the season, according to Andy Woodcock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

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