A massive winter storm swept across the southern United States, bringing heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain, and causing widespread chaos on highways, at airports, and in local communities. The storm, which blanketed areas unaccustomed to such extreme winter weather, left thousands stranded, disrupted flights, and forced schools and businesses to close.
According to AccuWeather, the storm began its path in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas on Thursday, causing treacherous travel conditions. By Friday, the storm reached Georgia, where Atlanta’s highways were covered in snow, trapping dozens of motorists.
Air travel was severely impacted, with Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport canceling over 1,500 flights on Thursday and another 540 on Friday. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport faced similar disruptions, with over 1,500 flight cancellations and hundreds more delayed.
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To make matters worse, a Delta jet at Atlanta’s airport was forced to abort takeoff due to an engine issue, resulting in four injuries as over 200 passengers evacuated via slides onto the snowy tarmac.
The storm shattered snowfall records across several states:
- Dallas, Texas: 2.2 inches of snow—the city’s largest snowfall since February 2021.
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: 3.5 inches of snow—a record for the date and the snowiest day since February 2022.
- Mena, Arkansas: A staggering 14.3 inches of snow, the highest accumulation reported in the region.
The heaviest snow fell from eastern Texas to western Tennessee, with Memphis and Little Rock receiving over 6 inches of snow. Northern Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas also faced significant snowfall, causing widespread disruption.
Ahead of the storm, residents across the South flocked to grocery stores, leaving shelves empty of essentials like bread, milk, and water. Schools and businesses preemptively closed to mitigate risks, but the sheer volume of snow still caught many off guard.
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By the weekend, the storm began moving into the Northeast, bringing 1 to 3 inches of snow across the mid-Atlantic and New England. While less severe than the havoc in the South, the storm continued to disrupt travel and daily life for millions.
Officials across the affected regions urged residents to stay off the roads and prepare for delays in restoring normalcy. As the South grapples with the aftermath of one of its most significant winter storms in years, the focus now turns to clearing roads, resuming flights, and assisting stranded travelers.
“This has been a storm for the record books,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Brian Lada. “The Southern U.S. has shown resilience in the face of a rare and impactful winter weather event.”
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