Hundreds of flights have been cancelled across the southern United States as airlines deal with a winter storm across the region.
Delta Air Lines said it had canceled about 375 departures on Friday. The airline whose headquarters are in Atlanta decided to reduce the operation’s workload because of the need to de-ice planes.
The airline also waived change fees for passengers scheduled to fly Friday and Saturday who wanted to change their travel plans.
Southwest Airlines, the second-largest carrier at Atlanta Airport also canceled more than 40 flights.
Planes line up on the tarmac as snow falls delaying travel at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Friday. Delta cancelled 375 flights while Southwest shelved 40 flights as the wintry weather struck
A heavy morning snow falls in Jackson, Mississippi as an electronic sign posts a winter weather advisory for drivers along I-55. The forecast called for a wintry mix of precipitation across several Deep South states
A traveler makes their way to a vehicle as snow covers the parking decks at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta
Traffic moves along southbound Interstate 75 as snow falls in Dalton, Tennessee on Friday morning
By early afternoon, steady snowfall had left a thin, white blanket on rooftops and patches of ground in downtown Atlanta. People were leaving work early, businesses were closing and some roads were already jammed – reminding 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.
Friday’s forecast called for a wintry mix of rain and snow across several states. Parts of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi reported snow flurries before dawn. The weather band also prompted closures in the Carolinas and brought a rare snowfall to parts of South Texas.
‘It’s the first snow of the season and any time you even mention snow in the South, you’re going to get people a little panicky,’ said David Nadler, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s office south of Atlanta.
A man wipes snow off the windows of a vehicle as a heavy morning snow falls
Worshippers link arms to avoid slipping as they walk along a snow-covered walkway to St. Richard Catholic Church
Louisiana’s highway department was monitoring the elevated roadways and bridges that stretch across much of south Louisiana, warning that motorists to stay home if possible. Some highways were shut down Friday, as snow fell in cities and towns that have little experience with it.
Snowfall and icy roads in North Carolina closed government offices and schools, sent cars sliding off the road and altered the governor’s travel plans.
Forecasters said heavy snow was falling in the mountainous western part of the state with up to 6 inches likely in areas including Asheville. A winter storm warning was in effect through Saturday morning for western counties.
In Alabama, Glenn Thompson said he had no trouble getting to work at a Texaco station in the northeastern town of Heflin despite snow that was still falling.
‘We probably got about an inch. As long as the temperature doesn’t drop we’ll be fine,’ said Thompson. ‘The roads are wet but they’re clear. We’ve still got people coming through (but) they closed schools for the day in Cleburne County.’
The frigid temperatures behind a cold front combined with moisture off the Gulf of Mexico to bring the weather to parts of the South, also yielding a rare snowfall in South Texas. It knocked out power to thousands and caused numerous accidents along slick roadways.
Snow and sleet fell Thursday in Laredo and other communities on the border with Mexico. The weather band also brought snow to San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Houston and elsewhere.
Georgia road crews took no chances ahead of Friday’s morning rush hour and pre-treated bridges and overpasses late Thursday with a briny water-and-salt mix against any snow or ice.
American flags wave as snow falls, blanketing vehicles in a car sales lot, in Jackson
The snow that blanketed parts of the Deep South 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.
In Alabama, manager Liza Snell worked the morning shift at Bertile’s Restaurant, as coffee cups and utensils clattered and regulars talked at their tables. Through the window she saw anything but a pretty winter scene in the town of Grove Hill, about 80 miles north of Mobile.
‘We got a lot of sleet right now. It’s an ugly thing – cloudy, wet and cold,’ she said.
A football blocking sled is coated with snow at Murrah High School in Jackson, Mississippi. Forecasters anticipate continued snowing throughout much of the central and southern Mississippi until the afternoon
Emmaline Dendinger enjoys a hearty bite of snow. The forecast called for a wintry mix over the next few days
The National Weather Service said a half inch to an inch (1 to 2.5 centimeters) of snow is forecast across many areas of the South by Friday night. Winter weather advisories have been posted for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas. The advisories were issued for cities including Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and Birmingham, Alabama.
Weather service meteorologist Kent McMullen said the first reports of snow came in the north Georgia mountains. Snow also began falling early Friday in the suburbs north of Atlanta, with drizzle reported in other parts of the state.
‘There’s a lot of uncertainty right now’ about just where the snow could fall and in what amounts, Nadler cautioned.
‘We’re not expecting temperatures to drop below freezing until sometime Friday evening,’ Nadler said of the Atlanta forecast.
Belhaven University student Rebecca Guerrero is clobbered by several snowballs outside the Bellhaven Bowl football stadium, as students blow off some final exam anxiety with snowball fights
Snow blankets the grounds of the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Elliott Runion,, enjoys his first look at snow with his dad Josh as they walk along the street as snow falls in Dalton, Tennessee
Kasey Brown, 11, left, and her friend Destiny Minor, 7, make snow angels on a lawn on their street after an unusual snowfall in Baton Rouge Kasey’s father Dlaniger Brown said the girls were enjoying the snow, and had been outside several times already, but were especially happy just to be home from school for the day
The weather service warned that black ice was possible on roads Saturday morning with low temperatures of 20 degrees (-6. Celsius) to the lower 30s.
Highs were expected to reach the 40s by Saturday afternoon with mostly sunny skies.
In southwestern Alabama, Snell took another look at the weather outside Bertile’s Restaurant where sleet had turned to snow.
‘We’re getting some snowflakes now. It’s white and pretty. It just changed in a few seconds,’ she said.
Forecasters said the white stuff won’t last long as the ground is too warm for it to accumulate beyond half an inch – but that’s still enough to excite those Texans who rarely see snowflakes.
Pictures from San Antonio showed residents embracing the winter weather by making snowmen and playing outside. One man even dressed up as Father Christmas for a walk downtown as temperatures fell to 32F.
Snow is common in parts of north Texas but not in the southern part of the state which has only have eight snow flurries since 1948.
It led to many sharing their surprise on Twitter with one calling it ‘a Texas Christmas miracle!’ The snow will even reach Corpus Christi which hasn’t seen the white stuff since 2004.
Snow is falling! Dressed as Santa Claus, Eldon Hansen stands in front of the Alamo as snow falls in downtown San Antonio
Snow fell in southern Texas on Friday morning as cold air swept across the Deep South with Georgia and Louisiana expected to freeze this weekend
Forecasters said the white stuff won’t last long as the ground is too warm for it to accumulate beyond half an inch – but that’s still enough to excite those Texans who rarely see snowflakes
A person walks under a street light as snow falls in Birmingham, Alabama
Forecasters said the biggest chance for more snow was along the Interstate 85 corridor from Alabama crossing Georgia through Atlanta and into South Carolina once the temperature begins falling
Winter weather advisories have been posted for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas
‘It’s the first snow of the season and any time you even mention snow in the South, you’re going to get people a little panicky,’ said David Nadler, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s office near Atlanta.
The National Weather Service said a half inch to an inch of snow is forecast across many areas of the South by Friday night.
Winter weather advisories have been posted for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas.
The advisories were issued for cities including Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Hattiesburg, Mississippi and Birmingham, Alabama.
There were snow flurries before daybreak Friday in the north Georgia mountains after Houston, Texas saw its first snow since 2009, the National Weather Service said.
South Texas cities such as Corpus Christi and Brownsville are also expected to see flakes fall with around 2-3 inches possible around Corpus Christi which has only had eight days on record with measurable snow fall since 1948. .
In the Atlanta area, where sporadic ice storms in recent years have paralyzed the freeway system and brought Georgia’s biggest city to a standstill, forecasts called for possible light snow accumulations later in the day.
Pictures from oustide the Alamo Mission in San Antonio showed residents embracing the winter weather by making snowmen and playing outside
As the morning commute began, roads were mostly wet with a light drizzle falling and temperatures still above freezing.
‘There’s a lot of uncertainty right now’ about just where the snow could fall and in what amounts, Nadler cautioned.
Forecasters said the biggest chance for snow was along the Interstate 85 corridor from Alabama crossing Georgia through Atlanta and into South Carolina once the temperature begins falling.
Temperatures by sundown Thursday had already begun to dip in Atlanta, where tailgating football fans shivered and huddled around small barbeque grills atop downtown parking decks before a night game between the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and the visiting New Orleans Saints.
Nadler said temperatures in the Atlanta area were expected to range from 35-40 degrees Friday morning with little fluctuation the rest of the day.
‘We’re not expecting temperatures to drop below freezing until sometime Friday evening,’ Nadler said.
That was a sprinkling of good news for Atlanta commuters ahead of the morning rush hour. But Georgia road crews took no chances and were already pre-treating bridges and overpasses late Thursday with a briny water-and-salt mix against any snow or ice.
Bill Shelton, road maintenance director in suburban Cobb County, northwest of Atlanta, said the brine could be used on roads 48 hours ahead of any precipitation.
‘The cost to do the whole county, every bridge and overpass, is probably $100 worth of salt,’ he said Thursday. ‘It is worth it to be proactive and keep our roads safe for the traveling public.’