Southern snow inspires weather fears
Small amount enough to cancel Atlanta flights
ATLANTA — The snow that blanketed parts of the Deep South on Friday delighted schoolchildren with an unexpected holiday but also revived panicky memories for many adults of past storms that trapped commuters on interstates for hours.
Businesses closed and commuters left work early as snow mixed with rain fell in downtown Atlanta, causing traffic jams on slushy roads far ahead of the usual rush hour.
“We’re surprised that this little snowfall would cause this much disruption to the entire city,” said Lucas Rachow, who stood outside with several colleagues holding suitcases as they waited for a ride to the airport.
Rachow was heading home to Switzerland after a business meeting and said he didn’t know if his flight had been canceled.
The National Weather Service said just 1 to 2 inches of snow accumulation was expected in Atlanta, with higher amounts possible in the city’s northern suburbs. It was enough to remind some residents of the 2014 storm that brought the city to a standstill and stranded motorists on roads overnight with just 2 inches of precipitation.
At a Jersey Mike’s sandwich shop in downtown Atlanta, manager Mike Thomas said the snow had driven away his clientele. He was calling his boss to see if they should close up early.
Accumulations of 6 inches were reported in Mississippi and north- ern Georgia, while at least 5 inches fell in Alabama. Rare snow flurries were spotted in New Orleans.
The weather band also brought a rare snowfall to parts of South Texas.
Temperatures were expected to sink below freezing across much of the region overnight Friday into Saturday morning. Things were expected to thaw by Saturday afternoon, with sunnier weather and highs reaching into the 40s and 50s.
By late afternoon Friday, a total of 688 flights had been cancelled at Hartsfield-jackson Atlanta International Airport, said airport spokesman Reese Mccranie.
That included 375 flights cancelled by Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, which prepared for the storm by having crews de-ice planes and waived fees for some passengers scheduled to fly Friday.