Atlanta Sees Impact of Winter Storm with Snow and Ice Across the South
A significant winter storm that brought substantial snowfall and icy conditions to Texas and Oklahoma has made its way eastward into southern states, making travel challenging and resulting in an unexpected snow day for many students.
In response to the chaos caused by the storm, Arkansas and North Carolina activated their National Guards to assist stranded drivers, while governors from several states declared emergencies. This extreme weather prompted school closures for millions of children stretching from Texas to Georgia and as far as South Carolina.
Reports indicate that some southern cities experienced snowfall amounts equivalent to an entire year’s worth, with parts of Arkansas seeing up to a foot (approximately 31 centimeters) of snow, including nearly 10 inches (around 25 centimeters) reported in Little Rock—a city that typically averages just 3.8 inches (9.7 centimeters) each year.
Memphis International Airport in Tennessee recorded over 7 inches (about 18 centimeters) of snow since late Thursday, with the city averaging only 2.7 inches (6.9 centimeters) annually. In regions where snow had diminished, such as Memphis, concerns grew about the risk of wet roads freezing overnight.
Further south and east in states like Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, a mix of sleet, snow, and ice has created hazardous driving conditions. In Atlanta and extending into the Carolinas, frozen rain started to replace the sleet and snow, with weather forecasters indicating potential damage to power lines and trees if ice accumulation continued to rise.
By evening, over 100,000 residents in Georgia faced power outages, predominantly in the Atlanta metro area. Northeast Texas and southwest Arkansas also reported more than 30,000 customers without electricity on Friday night.
For many children confined to their homes, the wet snow proved suitable for crafting snowballs. Twelve-year-old Mikayla Johnson was enjoying her day off by making snow angels and snowmen with her father, expressing delight at the rare occurrence. “My first thought was, ‘Wow!’ We haven’t had snow since I was, like, 4 – good snow, at least. So I was really happy,” said Mikayla.
Parts of central Oklahoma and northern Texas received as much as 7 inches (approximately 18 centimeters) of snow. Meanwhile, Kansas City students returned to school after three consecutive snow days, only to face cancellations again on Friday due to more snowfall.
In metro Atlanta, snow began to fall before dawn, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights at the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International. Flight controllers instituted a ground stop before 8 a.m., halting all landings and takeoffs.
A Delta flight heading for Minneapolis had to abort its takeoff Friday morning, resulting in injuries to four passengers, with one being hospitalized and others receiving minor treatment. Delta stated that it was uncertain whether weather conditions contributed to the aborted takeoff but noted a potential engine issue.
Delays and cancellations were reported at significant airports, including Charlotte, North Carolina, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Nashville. Fifty-five passengers from three American Airlines flights diverted from Dallas-Fort Worth were stranded overnight at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott advised residents to refrain from driving whenever possible as around 75,000 spectators were expected at AT&T Stadium in Arlington for the college football Cotton Bowl semifinal between Texas and Ohio State.
The polar vortex, which typically remains near the North Pole, has drifted southward into the U.S., Europe, and Asia, with climate scientists noting increased frequency of such events in a warming world. Interestingly, the cold snap coincided with unusual January wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
Forecasts predict up to 8 inches (about 20 centimeters) of snow could hit parts of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia by Saturday, leading to over a million students in metro Atlanta and north Georgia receiving either a snow day or taking classes online.
In light of a severe winter storm in 2014 that left many stranded overnight, Georgia officials acted swiftly to cancel in-person classes and close government offices on Friday. Multiple freeway interchanges in Atlanta were temporarily closed due to stalled trucks, but emergency crews have been diligently towing these vehicles to avoid past issues.
In Nashville, new postal worker Joe Feliciano navigated snowy sidewalks to deliver mail, expressing both nervousness and confidence gained from training provided by the U.S. Postal Service. “This is like, ‘Wow!’ This is a lot of snow,” he remarked.
In parts of South Carolina, residents faced their first wintry weather event in three years, prompting road treatment by the state’s Transportation Department. However, icy roads led to vehicles slipping off Interstate 95 south of Columbia, causing some school closures.
With the expected snow, sleet, and freezing rain across North Carolina, a planned outdoor inauguration ceremony for Governor Josh Stein and other officials in Raleigh was canceled. The storm’s path affected regions in western North Carolina still recovering from Hurricane Helene last year.
As the storm approached Richmond, Virginia Friday night, Mayor Danny Avula mentioned the city had taken precautionary measures, including bringing in extra resources to monitor the water treatment facility, which had previously faced outages during a prior snowstorm.
