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Sunday, January 9, 2011

Winter storm shuts down Georgia...


Travel affected as winter storm rolls across the South

By the CNN Wire Staff
January 9, 2011 11:25 p.m. EST
About 2 inches of snow had fallen in Atlanta's Grant Park area a couple of hours after it started Sunday night, iReporter Cody Wellons said.
About 2 inches of snow had fallen in Atlanta's Grant Park area a couple of hours after it started Sunday night, iReporter Cody Wellons said.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • NEW: States of emergencies are declared in Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia
  • Airlines are beginning to cancel flights
  • Snow, ice and freezing temperatures are expected across the southeastern U.S.
  • Weather conditions in Atlanta could impact air travel across the country
Check weather and airport delays with our travel tracker.
(CNN) -- A major winter storm system was rolling 
across the southeastern United States Sunday, 
sending out shocks of snow, freezing rain and 
sleet, and forcing some airlines to cancel flights.
AirTran Airways canceled 14 flights Sunday, most 
of them heading into Atlanta, in order to have fewer 
aircraft on the ground there at the time the storm 
hits, spokesman Christopher White said. Another 
270 flights were canceled for Monday, which represents 
a majority of the Atlanta-bound flights for the airline.
There will be a handful of arrivals and departures only, 
White said.
The latest computer models show wintry weather 
extending from northeast Texas through the Carolinas, 
bringing freezing temperatures, snow and ice to areas 
that normally don't see heavy winter precipitation, 
according to CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen. 
The northern regions of Mississippi, Alabama, 
Georgia and the Carolinas should expect heavy 
snow, while ice storms are expected to affect the 
southern regions of those states, he said.
Forecasters expect freezing rain to move north in 
those states, possibly by Monday morning.

South braces for wintery storm






Winter storm warnings covered much of the Southeast 
as the storm system developed Sunday morning in 
Texas and tracked along the Gulf Coast.
The National Weather Service has issued winter storm 
warnings for parts of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, 
Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama. The agency 
warns that significant snow amounts could make 
travel difficult and dangerous. Three to eight inches 
of snow could fall by Monday evening and roads are 
expected to be hazardous through Monday night, 
especially secondary roads.
Various winter storm watches have also been put in 
place by the weather agency, stretching from northeast 
Texas to the far western corner of Virginia.
In preparation for wintry conditions, governors in 
Louisiana and Alabama declared states of emergencies, 
according to the governor's office in Alabama and CNN 
affiliate KSLA in Baton Rouge.
"We face a serious storm that will have an impact all 
across Alabama," Gov. Bob Riley said in a statement. 
He advised motorists to stay the roads.
Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue similarly issued a state 
of emergency.
Snow began falling in Atlanta during the evening hours 
Sunday, and is forecast to accumulate through Monday 
afternoon. Temperatures at or below freezing are 
expected to remain in place through Tuesday, keeping 
roads dangerous and travel difficult, Hennen said.
Parts of Louisiana could get up to an inch of ice, while 
other states in the region could get between a quarter 
and a half-inch of ice coating power lines, trees, bridges 
and roadways, said CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf.
In Alabama, Auburn University canceled classes and 
viewing events for the BCS championship game on 
Monday night.
Meanwhile, snow moved into the Northeast but the 
region was spared a repeat of the Christmas blizzard 
that virtually shut down large cities such as New York 
and Philadelphia. Emergency management officials 
were able to quickly recover from the comparably 
light dusting of snow that began blanketing the region 
Friday.

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