ATLANTA, GEORGIA — A powerful winter storm, influenced by climate change, has dumped heavy snow and glazed roads with ice across much of Texas and Oklahoma, lumbering eastward into the Southern United States. This has led to hazardous travel conditions and a rare snow day for many students across the region.
In response to the storm, Arkansas and North Carolina mobilized their National Guards to assist stranded motorists, while governors in multiple states declared states of emergency. School was canceled for millions of children from Texas to Georgia and as far east as South Carolina.
The storm resulted in snowfall accumulation that surpassed a year’s worth in some Southern cities. Parts of Arkansas saw as much as a foot (about 31 centimeters) of snow, with nearly 10 inches (about 25 centimeters) reported in Little Rock, a city that averages only 3.8 inches (9.7 centimeters) annually.
More than 7 inches (about 18 centimeters) fell at Memphis International Airport in Tennessee since late Thursday, far exceeding the city’s typical annual snowfall of 2.7 inches (6.9 centimeters). In areas where snow tapered off, such as Memphis, the concern shifted to potentially hazardous conditions as wet roads were expected to freeze overnight.
Farther south and east, in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, a wintry mix of sleet, snow, and ice made travel treacherous. This heavy, wet snow was perfect for making snowballs, much to the delight of local children.
In Atlanta, Georgia, Mikayla Johnson, 12, embraced her unexpected day off from school, joyfully creating snow angels and snowmen. “My first thought was, ‘Wow!'” said Mikayla, who was outside with her father. “We haven’t had snow since I was, like, 4 – good snow, at least. So I was really happy.”
The storm dumped as much as 7 inches (about 18 centimeters) in central Oklahoma and northern Texas. In Kansas City, students returned to school after three straight snow days, only to face another closure due to fresh snowfall.
Snow began falling in metro Atlanta before dawn, leading to hundreds of flight cancellations and delays at the world’s busiest airport. Flight tracking software FlightAware reported that controllers declared a ground stop before 8 a.m., halting all landings and takeoffs.
In a related incident, four passengers were injured after a Delta plane bound for Minneapolis aborted takeoff Friday morning. One passenger was hospitalized, while three others were treated for minor injuries at the scene. Delta Airlines indicated that the weather might not have been a factor in the aborted takeoff, citing an engine issue.
Other airports, including those in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Nashville, also experienced significant delays and cancellations. Fifty-five passengers on three American Airlines flights that were diverted from Dallas-Fort Worth spent the night at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott urged residents to avoid driving if possible, especially with about 75,000 fans expected at AT&T Stadium in Arlington for the college football championship semifinal between Texas and Ohio State.
The polar vortex, characterized by ultra-cold air, typically spins around the North Pole but occasionally ventures south, impacting the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Some experts suggest that these events are becoming more frequent, paradoxically linked to climate change.
As the cold snap persists, it coincides with rare January wildfires in the Los Angeles area, illustrating the complex relationship between extreme weather patterns and climate change.
Forecasts indicate that as much as 8 inches (about 20 centimeters) of snow could fall in parts of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Snow and ice are expected to accumulate across metro Atlanta, making roadways treacherous and potentially leading to power outages.
More than 1 million public school students in metro Atlanta and north Georgia faced snow days or were engaged in online learning. Following a disastrous winter storm in 2014 that left thousands stranded, officials in Georgia acted swiftly to cancel in-person classes and close offices on Friday.
Many schools in northern Alabama canceled classes due to roads being largely covered in snow or ice, some of which were impassable, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Tennessee’s largest school district, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, closed all schools on Friday, with tours at Elvis Presley’s former home-turned-museum, Graceland, also canceled.
In South Carolina, areas experienced their first wintry weather in three years, leading the state Department of Transportation to treat interstates and major highways. However, vehicles slipped off icy Interstate 95 south of Columbia, prompting school closures.
With snow, sleet, and freezing rain anticipated across North Carolina, a public outdoor inauguration ceremony for Governor Josh Stein and other elected officials was canceled due to the storm’s trajectory, which overlapped with areas affected by Hurricane Helene last year.
