DALLAS — Freezing rain may look harmless ... sometimes even beautiful. But it is one of the most dangerous winter weather phenomena. Unlike snow or sleet, freezing rain adds weight, and a shocking amount of it, to everything it clings on to.

Up to a foot of snow and some freezing rain are expected in South Jersey and along the Jersey Shore. See the timeline, peak times.

Officials across the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. have been sounding the alarm about the potential for freezing rain to wreak havoc on power systems. In the South, especially, losing electricity doesn’t just mean the lights going out. It means losing heat.

National Weather Service predicts freezing temps might be even colder than expected for this weekend's winter storm, placing Houston under extreme cold watch.

A winter storm will impact Louisiana in stages this weekend, bringing ice, freezing rain and prolonged cold, with the greatest impacts expected in northern and central parts of the state.

Brown, along with Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and other local officials will hold a news conference this morning to provide updates ahead of the storm that will bring freezing temperatures to Central Texas over the weekend.

Temperatures have already begun to drop in San Angelo this week into the 40s, ahead of a winter storm possibly bringing a mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow later in the week as well as lows in the teens or single digits. The coldest times this week are expected to be Friday and Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

With wintry conditions expected across parts of the state this weekend, Texas DPS is advising residents to prepare for potential dangers.