USA: southern areas affected by winter storm thaw, electricity returns slowly

After a frigid winter storm closed schools, knocked out power and canceled or delayed flights, the Southern United States slowly thawed Sunday as temperatures rose.

Emergency crews worked at full speed and by Sunday morning power had already been restored in some areas of North Carolina and South Carolina, where tens of thousands of users had been left without electricity in recent days, according to Duke Energy.

According to Duke Energy, 97% of retail customers of Georgia Power, the state’s largest electric company, which serves all but four of the state’s 159 counties, had already restored power.

“Crews have not slowed down, in fact, we have brought in additional resources to help us cross the finish line,” reads a news release on the Atlanta city government Facebook page.

According to Dylan Lusk, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Peachtree, Georgia, much of the winter weather has left the area.

“For the most part, we are slowly warming and finally thawing a little after falling snow and a layer of freezing rain,” Lusk said.

Warmer weather was expected, but some areas were still icy and authorities warned people to drive slowly and be careful on slippery areas of roads, especially as temperatures drop again at night and snow and ice melted to freeze again.

“Black ice will return as temperatures fall below freezing tonight and into Monday morning,” the National Weather Service said.

More than 600 flights to or from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were delayed throughout the afternoon, according to FlightAware.com. Parking lots were cleared and runways were operational, but a ground delay was issued around noon to de-ice the planes, airport officials said.

Seven flights were cancelled, an improvement from Saturday when around 1,000 flights were canceled or delayed.

Earlier this week, the storm brought heavy snow — up to 7 inches (18 centimeters) in some places — and left roads slick across much of Texas and Oklahoma before moving east.

In some cities, the storm accumulated more snow than in a year. Up to a foot (31 centimeters) of snow fell in some parts of Arkansas. In Memphis, a city that typically sees 2.7 inches (6.9 centimeters) a year, Memphis International Airport recorded more than 7 inches (18 centimeters).

Atlanta received more than 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow on Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The agency said it was the first time the city had more than an inch of snowfall since 2018.

While the National Weather Service says Gulf Coast residents can expect rain Sunday and Monday, other parts of the country could see snow and prepare for a mass of cold, dry air coming from the Arctic region, including in the region. of the Great Lakes.

Although conditions are expected to improve, some places, including churches, announced closures for Sunday.

School was canceled Friday for millions of children from Texas to Georgia and as far east as South Carolina, offering them a rare snow day. On Saturday, north Alabama officials said schools could remain closed on Monday if ice does not melt from secondary roads.

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Cline reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Finley from Norfolk, Virginia.