Snow in Deep South brings back bad memories for some

ATLANTA (AP) — The snow that dusted parts of the Deep South early today delighted schoolchildren with an unexpected holiday but also brought back 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, where coffee cups and utensils clattered and regulars talked at their tables. She looked out the window and 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.

The 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.

Delta Air Lines canceled 125 flights Friday through its hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, while Southwest Airlines canceled more than 40 flights. Both airlines prepared for the storm by having crews de-ice planes, and Delta waived fees for some passengers scheduled to fly today.

In Alabama, Glenn Thompson said he didn't have any 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, who works in the shop. "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 that combined with moisture off the Gulf of Mexico to bring the weather to parts of the South also yielded a rare snowfall in South Texas.