ATLANTA (AP) — Flight cancellations continued to mount as authorities warned of ongoing hazardous road conditions on Saturday following a winter storm that brought frigid temperatures and wet snow to the U.S. South, resulting in school closures and travel disruptions. The storm was moving away from the East Coast on Saturday, with snow showers expected in the Appalachian Mountains and New England. However, temperatures were set to drop significantly in the South after sunset, increasing the risk of refreezing snow and creating dangerously icy roads. “I don’t anticipate a complete thaw,” said Scott Carroll, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Atlanta. “Especially secondary roads may still have slush.”While major roads were mostly clear, few people were seen out early on Saturday. The Atlanta Hawks postponed their game against the Houston Rockets due to icy conditions. Major airports such as those in Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina, continued to experience disruptions with ongoing flight cancellations and delays. By Saturday afternoon, around 1,000 flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport had been affected, according to FlightAware tracking software. Sarah Waithera Wanyoike, a resident of Lilburn near Atlanta, shared her experience of being stranded at the airport after her flight to Zimbabwe was canceled following a lengthy delay. Delta Air Lines, the airport’s biggest carrier, acknowledged the challenges in resuming operations after the storm, particularly with morning flights facing the most significant disruptions due to crew and aircraft availability issues. In other news, Richmond lifted a boil-water advisory that had been in place for nearly a week following a snowstorm that caused water system problems. The mayor confirmed that water was safe to drink, and the advisory was also lifted for some neighboring counties. The system failure affected over 200,000 people, leading to water shortages in some homes. Despite the challenges posed by the storm, power outages in Georgia were mostly restored after freezing rain caused disruptions. Areas in western North Carolina received significant snowfall, while parts of middle Tennessee also saw considerable snow accumulation. Earlier in the week, the storm had impacted Texas and Oklahoma before moving east, prompting mobilization of National Guard troops in Arkansas and North Carolina to assist stranded motorists.
States of emergency were declared by mayors and governors as Nashville began the process of recovering from a significant snowfall. Businesses and churches in the area worked diligently to clear away several inches of snow that had accumulated, ensuring they could reopen for the upcoming weekend. At Judah Temple of Praise, church members rallied together on a Saturday to shovel, salt, and clear snow from sidewalks and the parking lot in preparation for the following day’s services. Elder Myyah Lockhart emphasized the importance of not letting snowy conditions deter them from gathering to worship, stating, “We’re not going to use the excuse of a parking lot covered in snow to not show up and praise our God tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, Andy Atkins, co-owner of the Bad Luck Burger Club food truck in east Nashville, took it upon himself to clear off picnic tables and shovel the sidewalk outside his establishment. Following a temporary closure on Friday due to the inclement weather, Atkins expressed hope that customers would return, acknowledging the financial impact of being closed, remarking, “Having a day off is good for the soul, but is bad for the pocket, you know.”
As the snowstorm swept across the region, schools in multiple states were forced to cancel classes, granting students an unexpected snow day. Officials in northern Alabama cautioned that schools could potentially remain closed on Monday if icy conditions persisted on secondary roads. Some areas experienced record-breaking snowfall amounts, with parts of Arkansas receiving as much as a foot of snow and reports of nearly 10 inches falling in Little Rock, a city that typically sees far less snow in a year.
In Tennessee, more than 7 inches of snow blanketed Memphis International Airport, well surpassing the city’s average annual snowfall. Similarly, central Oklahoma and northern Texas faced significant snow accumulations, with up to 7 inches reported in certain areas. The unusual weather patterns were attributed to the intrusion of a polar vortex, bringing extremely cold air southward into regions typically unaccustomed to such frigid conditions. While some experts linked these events to a warming climate, paradoxically noting an increase in occurrences of extreme cold snaps.
The cold spell coincided with an uncommon phenomenon as wildfires ravaged parts of the Los Angeles region during the month of January, adding another layer of complexity to the already unusual weather patterns experienced across the country during this time. Finley, reporting from Norfolk, Virginia, provided insights into the weather-related challenges faced by various states, with contributions from Associated Press reporters spanning from Memphis, Tennessee, to Bellingham, Washington.
