A truck is jackknifed as one other spins its wheels on a slushy offramp off Interstate 285 northeast of downtown Atlanta on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.
AP Picture | Jeff Amy
A winter storm that dropped heavy snow and glazed roads all through the U.S. South was sustaining its icy grip on a lot of the area into the weekend.
Energy outage numbers round Atlanta crept up Friday evening as meteorologists warned of accumulating freezing rain. Greater than 110,000 prospects had been with out electrical energy, principally within the Atlanta space.
“As our crews anticipated based mostly on the forecast, extra freezing rain and falling bushes have prompted energy outages because the solar has gone down,” Georgia Energy mentioned by way of social media.
“Situations in a single day stay difficult with icy roads and winds, however so long as it’s protected — we can be working,” the utility mentioned.
Georgia transportation officers urged folks to remain off the roads till noon Saturday, and snow and ice was additionally forecast to proceed within the Carolinas, Virginia and the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys.
Earlier this week the storm introduced heavy snow and slicked roads throughout a lot of Texas and Oklahoma earlier than shifting east. Arkansas and North Carolina mobilized Nationwide Guard troops for duties comparable to serving to stranded motorists, and governors in a number of states declared states of emergency.
Faculty was canceled for thousands and thousands of kids from Texas to Georgia and as far east as South Carolina, giving them a uncommon snow day.
The storm piled up greater than a yr’s price of snowfall on some cities.
As a lot as a foot (about 31 centimeters) fell in elements of Arkansas, and there have been stories of almost 10 inches (about 25 centimeters) in Little Rock, which averages 3.8 inches (9.7 centimeters) a yr.
Greater than 7 inches (about 18 centimeters) fell at Memphis Worldwide Airport in Tennessee since late Thursday. The town normally sees 2.7 inches (6.9 centimeters) a yr. Metropolis officers in Memphis had been additionally involved that moist roads would freeze in a single day.
The wintry mixture of sleet, snow and ice has made journey treacherous in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Sleet and snow that fell in South Carolina and North Carolina was altering to freezing rain.
For youths house from college Friday, the moist snow additionally packed into a fairly good snowball.
In Atlanta, Mikayla Johnson, 12, was making snow angels and snow figures.
“My first thought was, ‘Wow!'” mentioned Mikayla, who was open air along with her father, Nate. “We’ve not had snow since I used to be, like, 4 — good snow, at the very least. So I used to be actually comfortable.”
The storm dumped as a lot as 7 inches (about 18 centimeters) in some spots in central Oklahoma and northern Texas.
Snow started falling in metro Atlanta earlier than daybreak Friday, resulting in lots of of flights being cancelled and lots of extra delayed on the world’s busiest airport, in response to flight monitoring software program FlightAware.
4 passengers had been injured after a Delta airplane sure for Minneapolis aborted takeoff that morning, in response to the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport. One passenger was hospitalized, whereas three folks had been handled on the scene for minor accidents.
The incident contributed to additional delays, though Delta mentioned it was unclear whether or not the climate had something to do with the flight aborting its takeoff. The airline mentioned there was a sign of an engine problem.
Different airports with vital delays and cancellations included these in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dallas-Fort Price and Nashville, Tennessee.
The storm might proceed to have an effect on air site visitors, the Federal Aviation Administration mentioned Friday evening.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott urged residents to keep away from driving if potential, at the same time as some 75,000 followers had been anticipated Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington for the school soccer championship semifinal between Texas and Ohio State.
The polar vortex of ultra-cold air normally spins across the North Pole, but it surely generally ventures south into the U.S., Europe and Asia. Some consultants say such occasions are occurring extra often, paradoxically, due to a warming world.
The chilly snap coincided with uncommon January wildfires tearing by way of the Los Angeles space.
Southern discomfort
As a lot as 8 inches (about 20 centimeters) of snow was forecast in elements of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia by way of Saturday, the Nationwide Climate Service mentioned.
Officers urged drivers to provide plows area after a semitrailer hit a Tennessee Division of Transportation truck in Smith County.
Components of South Carolina had been seeing their first wintry climate in three years. The state Division of Transportation handled interstates and different main highways from Columbia northward, however automobiles had been slipping off icy Interstate 95 south of town.
A public out of doors inauguration ceremony Saturday in Raleigh, North Carolina, for Gov. Josh Stein and different elected officers was canceled. The storm’s trajectory overlapped with a lot of the western North Carolina space impacted by Hurricane Helene final yr.
In Richmond, Virginia. Mayor Danny Avula mentioned officers introduced in further assets to observe town’s water therapy facility, which suffered a multiday outage following a snowstorm earlier within the week, together with a brand new backup battery and extra water filters.
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