A flurry of snow and sleet swept through parts of the South unaccustomed to winter weather on Friday, causing flight cancellations, school closures and officials warning people to stay off the roads if possible.
The National Weather Service said a winter storm warning extended from eastern Oklahoma to Virginia, with snow and freezing rain falling in cities including Jackson, Mississippi. Birmingham, Ala.; and Atlanta on Friday morning.
More than a foot of snow accumulated in parts of western Arkansas, with more heavy snowfall Friday morning than the day before. Parts of the mid-Atlantic, Ohio Valley and Northeast could see one to five inches of snow from Friday into Saturday.
Widespread winter precipitation caused the cancellation of nearly 2,000 flights in and out of airports in Atlanta, Dallas, Nashville and Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday. With nearly 30% of flights in and out of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport canceled, the scene at the nation’s busiest airport was unusually calm.
“As long as we leave, today is a good day to travel,” said Spencer Reeve, a 42-year-old board game marketer whose flight to Los Angeles at 12:40 p.m. was delayed by two hours. “This is the most relaxing place Hartsfield has ever been.”
Still, Mr. Reeve had been at the airport since 6:30 a.m. to beat the heavy snow that blanketed Atlanta’s streets.
A mix of ice and snow is making streets and highways treacherous across a wide swath of the South. The Mississippi Department of Transportation said on social media that ice had been reported in 31 counties in the state and urged drivers to use caution. In Atlanta, public schools were closed in anticipation of freezing rain and snow, and early rush hour was slow as city streets and highways froze. Drivers who ventured out found themselves stranded on the side of the road.
Interstate 22, a 200-mile route through Mississippi and Alabama, was closed due to a crash in Marshall County in north-central Mississippi.
In preparation for the storm, Georgia Gov. Brian P. Kemp declared a state of emergency on Thursday based on weather forecasts and said it would last through Tuesday.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee also declared a state of emergency Thursday afternoon. While Tennessee is familiar with winter storms, some areas, such as Memphis, could see their largest two-day snowfall totals in 40 years. Parts of the state are still recovering from Hurricane Helene, which swept through the state as a tropical storm in September.
Forecasters in Nashville are urging residents not to focus on the precise level of snowfall, as any amount could pose a risk to travel.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders also declared a state of emergency Thursday, with heavy snow and ice expected across the state on Friday.
In North Carolina, a similar scenario will begin playing out around noon Friday and continue through Saturday. Up to two inches of snow is currently expected in the mid-Atlantic east of the Allegheny Mountains.
The storm is expected to intensify as it moves away from the coast, but remains far enough away to avoid significant damage to the Northeast.
Unseasonably cold weather is expected to continue along the East Coast into next week, leading to some lingering snow accumulation. Areas where snow melts during the day may refreeze overnight, posing an ongoing hazard.
Sean Keenan Reporting from Atlanta.
