Southern areas hit by winter storm thaw out as power slowly returns
After one freezing winter storm Closing schools, turning off power and canceling or postponing flights, the South was slowly thawing Sunday as warmer weather melted snow and ice.
Crews worked furiously and by Sunday morning, power had been restored in parts of North Carolina and South Carolina, where Duke Energy said tens of thousands of customers lost electricity in recent days. In Atlanta, about 1,000 flights were canceled or delayed Saturday. Airport officials said Sunday morning that all roads and parking lots had been cleared of snow and all runways were operational.
“The crews have not slowed down, in fact, we have deployed additional resources to help us cross the finish line,” reads a news release on the City of Atlanta Government Facebook page. According to the post, power had been restored to 97% of Georgia Power customers by Sunday.
Much of the winter weather has disappeared from the area, said Dylan Lusk, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Peachtree, Georgia.
“For the most part, we are slowly warming up and eventually thawing a bit after snow falls and a dusting of freezing rain,” Lusk said.
Earlier this week, the storm brought heavy snow — as much as 7 inches (about 18 centimeters) in some places — and slicked roads across much of Texas and Oklahoma before moving east.
In some cities, the storm brought more than a year’s worth of snowfall. As much as a foot (about 31 centimeters) fell in parts of Arkansas. In Memphis, a city that normally records 2.7 inches (6.9 centimeters) per year, the Memphis International Airport records more than 7 inches (about 18 centimeters).
Atlanta was hit with more than 2 inches of snow on Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The agency said it was the first time the city had received more than an inch of snow since 2018.
While the National Weather Service says Gulf Coast residents can expect showers Sunday and Monday, other parts of the country could see snow and brace for a blast of cold, dry air from the Arctic — including the Great Lakes region.
Although conditions are expected to improve, some places – including churches – have announced closures for Sunday.
School was canceled on Friday for millions of children from Texas to Georgia and as far east as South Carolina a rare snow day. On Saturday, officials in northern Alabama said schools could remain closed Monday if the ice on secondary roads does not melt.
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Cline reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Finley from Norfolk, Virginia.