Thousands of flights cancelled as biggest snowfall in years hits southern U.S.

A major winter storm rolling through the southern United States cancelled thousands of flights and left drivers waiting in traffic jams from Texas to Georgia.

This is the region’s largest winter storm in almost four years.

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Drawing on Arctic air from the north and a surge of Gulf moisture from the south, a potent low-pressure system laid down a thick blanket of snow from Texas to the Carolinas.

Heavy snow on the northern side of the system contrasted with a messy mix of freezing rain and ice pellets on the southern end of the storm.

A small Arkansas town called Mena reported the highest snowfall total so far. An observer there witnessed 36 cm of snow by the end of the storm Friday morning.

Arkansas’ capital of Little Rock reported 20 cm of snow, making for the city’s largest single snowfall since February 2021 and more than doubling the city’s average annual snowfall of about 9 cm.

A historic 1,076-day snowless streak finally ended in Charlotte, N.C., on Friday as the storm arrived in the Carolinas. Charlotte, which is home to one of the U.S.’s largest airline hubs, hadn’t seen measurable snow since Jan. 29, 2022.

Heavy snow and ice led to thousands of flight cancellations across the country as the ripple effects of the storm trickled through the airline networks. Airlines cancelled nearly half of all flights into and out of Atlanta on Friday, according to airline tracking company FlightAware. Atlanta is home to the world’s busiest commercial airport.

Minimal power outages were reported as a result of the storm. About 50,000 customers were without power Friday afternoon in northeastern Texas and southwestern Arkansas, with a smattering of additional outages along the system’s path.

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Significant highway delays were reported from Dallas to Greensboro, N.C., as the wintry weather pushed through the region. Commutes often turn into an ordeal during winter storms in the southern U.S., as vehicles here don’t use winter tires and most drivers have minimal experience with icy conditions on hilly and often untreated roads.

The winter storm will continue pushing through the southeast and Mid-Atlantic states overnight Friday and into early Saturday morning.

A swath of 5-15 cm of snow is in the forecast across the western Carolinas and southern Virginia, potentially hampering air travel out of Charlotte, one of the busiest hubs on the East Coast. Travellers heading north or south along Interstate 95 are likely to experience foul driving conditions between South Carolina and Virginia into Saturday.

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