Metro Atlanta is finally getting some warmer temperatures Sunday following a winter storm that brought more snow than forecast and led to thousands of power outages.
By Sunday afternoon, Georgia Power reported just under 400 customers were without power statewide; Cobb EMC showed none. Early Saturday, the Georgia Power’s outage map had shown more than 80,000 of its 2.7 million customers without power. Things rapidly improved throughout Saturday and the utility pledged in an evening social media post that crews would work around the clock until the lights came back on in Georgia.
Still, officials stressed that ice and slick roads were still a problem Sunday morning, prior to afternoon temperatures that will get into the 40s. Snow and ice melt continued Saturday amid the wind and warming but freezing overnight temperatures led to some icy spots, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Eboni Deon said. She added that morning fog could make things dangerous for drivers.
“That means as it lands on surfaces the moisture could make for some slick conditions on the roadways so be extra careful getting out through at least (the) late morning,” Deon said.
The snow arrived at about 7 a.m. Friday and left just over 2 inches in Atlanta and up to 3.5 inches in other parts. It was the most snow in the metro area since January 2018. Crews from the Georgia Department of Transportation and Atlanta Department of Transportation helped to treat the roadways across the state and in Atlanta by using tens of thousands of gallons of brine. Bus services were suspended, including MARTA which began resuming limited service on essential routes by Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, MARTA bus, mobility and streetcar services were resuming their routes on a phased schedule, officials said. Other business and sporting events were also closed or postponed.
Zoo Atlanta remained closed Sunday for daytime admission, though a lantern festival will still be open. Changes to operations hours for Monday are not expected, the zoo stated.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
At Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, there are about an hour-long departure delays at the airport just after noon due to deicing. Just hours earlier, wait times had been somewhat back to normal after the storm led airlines to cancel hundreds of flights. Many others had been delayed, leaving travelers stuck. Cancelations were due to snowy and icy runways that staff had to deice before planes could take off or land.
By Sunday afternoon, Deon said rising temperatures and much needed sunshine would help to melt much of what is left on the ground on the roads. Metro Atlanta should see a high of 44 degrees, still about 10 degrees below the average for this time of year.
“Finally starting to see some improving weather conditions as we close out this weekend,” Deon added. “It has been a winter wonderland and a winter mess.”
The Atlanta sky should be mostly clear through the evening. Overnight temperatures are projected to drop into the mid and upper 20s, Deon said.
The warming trend will continue Monday which will see a high of nearly 50 degrees. Tuesday and Wednesday should be a few degrees cooler but there will be still be plenty of sunshine throughout the week, Deon added.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
It seems Atlanta has improved since 2014′s “Snowpocalypse” or “Snowmageddon,” when the city was paralyzed from just two inches of snow. Many drivers on Saturday appeared to be traveling slow and defensively.
“Thank you to everyone who stayed off the roads, and to our first responders, law enforcement, and power teams for responding to emergencies and keeping our people safe,” Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement Saturday night.
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