A significant winter storm has continued to affect large parts of the Southern United States, delivering a mix of heavy snow and sleet, along with icy conditions as the weekend progresses.
In the Atlanta area, power outages rose reports Friday night, with more than 110,000 customers experiencing outages, largely attributed to the freezing rain and falling trees that intensified after dark.
Georgia Power alerted the public via social media, indicating that the utility’s crews were dealing with difficult conditions but would maintain their efforts to restore power as long as conditions permitted.
Transportation officials in Georgia have advised residents to refrain from traveling until at least midday Saturday, amid forecasts of ongoing snow and ice in other areas such as the Carolinas, Virginia, Ohio, and Tennessee valleys.
Earlier in the week, the storm impacted Texas and Oklahoma with heavy snowfall and dangerously slick roads before shifting eastward. States such as Arkansas and North Carolina deployed National Guard units to assist stranded motorists, while multiple governors declared states of emergency in their regions.
The inclement weather has resulted in school closures for millions of students from Texas to South Carolina, allowing them a rare snow day.
Certain cities have recorded snowfall equivalent to an entire year’s average in just a few days.
Some regions in Arkansas saw nearly a foot of snow, and Little Rock reported around ten inches, a significant increase from its typical annual average of approximately 3.8 inches.
Memphis International Airport recorded over 7 inches of snowfall since late Thursday, substantially more than its average of 2.7 inches annually, with city officials expressing concern that roadways might freeze overnight.
The mixed precipitation of sleet, snow, and ice has rendered travel hazardous across parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, while areas of South Carolina and North Carolina transitioned from snowfall to freezing rain.
Many children enjoyed their time off from school, crafting snowballs and making snow angels.
Twelve-year-old Mikayla Johnson from Atlanta shared her excitement about the rare snowfall, stating that she hadn’t seen much snow since she was four years old.
The storm also resulted in significant snowfall in central Oklahoma and northern Texas, with metro Atlanta experiencing snowfall early Friday, causing substantial disruptions at the world’s busiest airport with numerous flight cancellations and delays.
During the chaos, an incident occurred involving a Delta flight that aborted its takeoff, injuring four passengers—one of whom required hospitalization—though it remained unclear if the weather played a role in this incident, as the airline noted a potential engine issue.
Other airports facing similar delays included those in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Nashville, Tennessee, with the possibility of continued air travel disruptions indicated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott advised residents to avoid driving if possible, even as a large audience gathered for a college football championship semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Experts have suggested that the polar vortex, generally confined to the North Pole region, is occasionally spilling southwards, with the phenomenon becoming more frequent in our warming climate.
Interestingly, this cold spell coincided with considerable wildfires in the Los Angeles area, creating a stark contrast between weather patterns across the country.
The National Weather Service projected that areas of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia could see up to 8 inches of snow by Saturday.
Officials urged safety on the roads, particularly after an incident where a semitrailer collided with a Department of Transportation truck in Tennessee.
Some regions in South Carolina have not experienced wintry weather for three years, with the state’s Department of Transportation working to treat major routes, although some vehicles slipped off icy highways.
An outdoor inauguration ceremony slated for Saturday in Raleigh, North Carolina, for newly elected officials including Governor Josh Stein was canceled due to the timing of the storm.
Richmond, Virginia’s Mayor Danny Avula noted that additional resources had been deployed to monitor the city’s water treatment facility, which had previously suffered outages during an earlier snowstorm earlier in the week.