Atlanta (AP) – A winter storm blanketed much of the U.S. South with heavy snow and ice, causing power outages and treacherous road conditions. The storm persisted into the weekend, with Atlanta experiencing a rise in power outages due to accumulating freezing rain. Over 110,000 customers were without electricity, primarily in the Atlanta area. Georgia Power alerted the public via social media about the worsening conditions and pledged to work through the night to restore power. Georgia transportation officials advised people to stay off the roads until midday Saturday, as snow and ice continued to affect the Carolinas, Virginia, and the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys. The storm had previously impacted Texas and Oklahoma before moving east, prompting states like Arkansas and North Carolina to mobilize National Guard troops. Multiple governors declared states of emergency and schools closed across several states, giving children an unexpected snow day. Some areas received a year’s worth of snowfall in a single storm, with cities like Little Rock, Arkansas, reporting nearly 10 inches of snow. Travel became hazardous in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia due to the wintry mix of sleet, snow, and ice. In Atlanta, kids like Mikayla Johnson enjoyed the rare snow, building snow figures and snow angels. The storm also disrupted air travel, causing delays and cancellations at airports like Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Nashville. Despite the challenges, authorities urged caution and advised against unnecessary travel.
Attendance was anticipated on Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington for the college football championship semifinal showdown between Texas and Ohio State. The polar vortex, a weather phenomenon characterized by ultra-cold air typically circulating around the North Pole, occasionally extends its reach southward into regions such as the United States, Europe, and Asia. Some experts suggest that these occurrences are becoming more frequent due to the effects of a warming planet.
This cold spell coincided with rare January wildfires raging through the Los Angeles area. In the southern United States, up to 8 inches (about 20 centimeters) of snow was predicted in parts of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Authorities advised motorists to give snowplows ample space following an incident where a semi-trailer collided with a Tennessee Department of Transportation truck in Smith County.
Some areas of South Carolina experienced wintry weather for the first time in three years. The state’s Department of Transportation took measures to treat interstates and major highways from Columbia northward, as vehicles slid off icy Interstate 95 south of the city. The public outdoor inauguration ceremony planned for Saturday in Raleigh, North Carolina, for Gov. Josh Stein and other elected officials had to be canceled due to the storm’s path overlapping with regions in western North Carolina previously impacted by Hurricane Helene last year.
In Richmond, Virginia, Mayor Danny Avula disclosed that additional resources were mobilized to monitor the city’s water treatment facility which had endured a multi-day outage following a recent snowstorm. These measures included the installation of a new backup battery and extra water filters.
Reported by Loller from Nashville, Tennessee. Associated Press correspondents Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee; Jeff Amy in Atlanta; Jeff Martin in Kennesaw, Georgia; Makiya Seminera in Raleigh, North Carolina; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville; Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City; Isabella O’Malley in Philadelphia; Olivia Diaz in Richmond, Virginia; and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; along with Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, contributed to this report.
For additional climate coverage by the AP, visit http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment.
