A winter storm that The Weather Channel has now named PAX is currently hitting a number of states located in the Southeast.

Rain and sleet came down hard in Georgia Wednesday, resulting in cities being forced to go without power–but hopefully for not too long.

Previously, the Atlanta area endured one of the worst cases of this year’s snowstorms, which left stranded motorists in traffic for at least 22 hours. Some were forced to leave vehicles and try to find somewhere warm to stay for the night.

However, it seems that most of Atlanta has taken the necessary precautions to avoid yet another devastating winter storm episode.

The National Weather Service sent out warnings of power outages around the cities of Augusta and Marietta. A half an inch of rain has reportedly already fallen in those areas, which caused power lines to fail due to freezing.

Ice storm damage in downtown #Augusta #Pax pic.twitter.com/RioV9lRqEX

— Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) February 13, 2014

To add to safety precautions, Atlanta sent out take-shelter alerts Wednesday, but the city’s Mayor Kasim Reed made sure to encourage local residents ahead of time to say indoors.

“The message I really want to share is, as of midnight tonight, wherever you are, you need to plan on staying there for a while,” she said Tuesday night, according to the Washington Post.

What started as sleet on Wednesday, soon turned into snowfall on Thursday. Georgia meteorologists have now informed that the snow will freeze over until Friday.

“Make sure you have the supplies you need to stay put for a while,” said meteorologist Matt Sena.

Additionally, PAX made its way to North Carolina but mainly to the cities of Charlotte and Raleigh.

According to a Thursday report, The Weather Channel stated:

In much of the South on Wednesday, travelers heeded warnings to stay off roads, but drivers in and around Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C., became snarled Wednesday in huge traffic jams and abandoned cars in scenes reminiscent of motorist woes in Atlanta during a storm two weeks earlier.

Commuters have reportedly become stranded on some of the major highways due to the icy roads. Emergency crews have responded to multiple accidents since Wednesday.

The winter storm is currently making its way through Washington D.C., and soon all other northern states will succumb to its wintry path. (image)

Public transportation has taken a toll too due to the winter storm PAX. Approximately 4,000 flights are canceled across the east coast, and Amtrak has modified or canceled most of its scheduled runs.

What The Weather Channel has already called “paralyzing” and “treacherous” icy conditions, PAX’s next stops include: Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and then Maine.

Nearly 22 states have come in contact with this merciless storm. There are 13 confirmed deaths in the south, but mainly stemming from vehicle accidents.

Located below is a thorough report by The Weather Channel:

Image via Youtube