ATLANTA — A winter storm that swept through the southern United States has led to numerous flight cancellations and warnings from state officials regarding hazardous road conditions. The storm, which brought a mix of frigid temperatures and wet snow to the region, has now moved out to sea off the East Coast, but forecasters are predicting snow showers for the Appalachian Mountains and New England. As temperatures are expected to drop significantly after sunset on Saturday, there is a heightened risk for melting snow to refreeze, creating dangerously icy roadways.
Scott Carroll, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Atlanta, cautioned, “I definitely don’t think everything’s going to completely melt. Especially the secondary roads will probably still have some slush on them.”
While major highways remained relatively clear, few drivers took to the streets early Saturday. The Atlanta Hawks, a professional basketball team, announced a postponement of their game scheduled for that afternoon against the Houston Rockets due to icy conditions.
Major airports, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, experienced significant disruptions. By midday Saturday, over 300 flights had been canceled in and out of Atlanta, with nearly 500 additional flights delayed. Charlotte reported more than 200 cancellations and close to 200 delays.
One passenger, Sarah Waithera Wanyoike, found herself stuck at Atlanta’s airport for a second consecutive day. She had arrived early Friday for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Zimbabwe, but after boarding the plane, they never took off and were held at the gate for six hours before being released. Wanyoike expressed her frustration, stating that her luggage remained on the aircraft, and she stayed at the airport on the advice that she needed to return early Saturday. “People slept with their babies on the floors last night,” she recounted.
On top of the ongoing delays, Wanyoike grew increasingly frustrated over the information vacuum from the airline, declaring, “It’s not even on the board at the airport. There’s no indication that we’re leaving.”
Delta Air Lines acknowledged the disruptions, noting that they were working to restore normal operations after canceling around 1,100 flights the previous day. The airline indicated that morning flights would experience the most significant number of cancellations due to airlines and crew being out of position.
In related news, Richmond, Virginia, lifted a boil-water advisory after nearly a week marked by power outages that followed Monday’s snowstorm, which had caused disruptions in the city’s water system. Mayor Danny Avula confirmed that lab results showed the city’s water was safe to drink, allowing advisories to be lifted not only in Richmond but also in adjacent counties. The water system issue had impacted around 200,000 residents.
In Georgia, freezing rain led to more than 110,000 electricity outages late on Friday, although most customers had their service restored by Saturday. The National Weather Service reported ice accumulation ranging from 0.1 inches to 0.25 inches in the Atlanta area, which was less severe than anticipated. However, Carroll warned of the potential for icy branches and limbs falling due to gusty winds throughout the day.
Western North Carolina reported as much as 4.5 inches of snow within 24 hours, while middle Tennessee experienced nearly 6 inches by Saturday morning. Earlier in the week, the storm had impacted a broad area from Texas to Oklahoma before heading eastward, leading Arkansas and North Carolina to activate National Guard troops to assist stranded motorists, alongside state emergency declarations.
School closures extended from Texas to Georgia and as far east as South Carolina, granting students an unexpected snow day. Officials in northern Alabama noted that schools could remain shut on Monday if ice does not clear from secondary roads.
Cities across the affected regions received above-average snowfall, with Little Rock, Arkansas, receiving close to 10 inches—well above its yearly average of 3.8 inches. Similarly, Memphis, Tennessee, saw over 7 inches while central Oklahoma and northern Texas reported exit totals of 7 inches as well.
Interestingly, the polar vortex, typically confined to the North Pole, sometimes drifts south, impacting regions far beyond its usual boundaries, a phenomenon that experts suggest is becoming more common due to global warming. This recent chilly weather, paradoxically, occurred alongside rare January wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
