Parts of Deep South blanketed by snow

Staff/wire report

ATLANTA

Snowfall blanketed parts of the Deep South on Friday, delighting schoolchildren with an unexpected holiday but also reviving panicky memories for many adults of past storms that trapped commuters on interstates for hours.

Businesses closed and commuters left work early as snow mixed with rain fell in downtown Atlanta, jamming traffic on slushy roads far ahead of the usual rush hour.

“We’re surprised that this little snowfall would cause this much disruption to the entire city,” said Lucas Rachow, who stood outside with several colleagues as they waited for a ride to the airport.

Rachow was heading home to Switzerland after a business meeting and said he didn’t know if his flight had been canceled.

The National Weather Service said just 1 to 2 inches of snow accumulation was expected in Atlanta, with higher amounts possible in the city’s northern suburbs. It was enough to remind 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.

The National Weather Service says the snow is expected to move into the Mid-Atlantic, parts of the Northeast and New England this weekend.

In the Mahoning Valley, the National Weather Service is reporting a high of 32 degrees today. A 30 percent chance of snow will be present throughout the day, increasing to 70 percent beginning after 5 p.m. Tonight’s low is expected to be around 20 degrees. Snow accumulation by Sunday morning could be between 1 and 2 inches.

Snow may continue Sunday, mostly before 7 a.m. The day will be mostly cloudy with a high near 30 degrees and a 30 percent chance of precipitation. Sunday evening’s low likely will stay around 24 degrees, and new snow accumulation likely will be less than a half-inch.

The snow is likely to return Monday, with the National Weather Service reporting the chance of precipitation around 50 percent. An inch of snow accumulation is possible come Monday. And Monday night, the chance of precipitation may climb to 60 percent, with snow showers possibly continuing throughout the evening and through the rest of the week.

At a Jersey Mike’s sandwich shop in downtown Atlanta, manager Mike Thomas said the snow had driven away his clientele. He was calling his boss to see if they should close up early, just as the barbecue restaurant next door had done.

“I’m terribly slow,” Thomas said, just after what should have been the lunch rush.

Accumulations of 6 inches were reported in Mississippi and northern Georgia, while at least 5 inches fell in Alabama. Rare snow flurries were spotted in New Orleans. Motorists were urged to stay off the roads in Louisiana for fear of ice.

The weather band also 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.

Temperatures were expected to sink below freezing across much of the region overnight, and forecasters warned that black ice could make roads treacherous.