Chastain Park trail, like lots of outdoor venues in Atlanta, was back in business Sunday once the snow and ice had started to melt.
Dozens of tennis players were working up a healthy sweat. Dogs and their humans were exploring nature. Most were still bundled up, although a few brave souls were sporting shorts.
Mixed martial artist David Vitkay was able to get in his usual five loops around the park after the winter weather had kept him from training his clients at fitness studio American Top Team Sandy Springs.
Credit: David Aaro
Credit: David Aaro
“I’m amazing now,” Vitkay said, basking in the sun’s rays. He was taking it easy in the spots still affected by ice and said he and his neighbors had weathered the weekend with a potluck assembled from what was in their freezers.
“I’m just glad it’s back to normal, somewhat normal,” he said.
Credit: David Aaro
Credit: David Aaro
After a winter storm that delivered more snow than forecast on Friday, Sunday brought a welcome thaw. After a spike of more than 80,000 outages, Georgia Power reported fewer than 400 statewide on Sunday afternoon. Cobb EMC showed none. MARTA bus, mobility and streetcar services were resuming their routes on a phased schedule Sunday while some business and sporting events remained closed or postponed.
Following a chaotic Friday and Saturday at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, where travelers faced delays, cancellations and interminable lines, Sunday brought only brief delays for deicing.
Zoo Atlanta was closed for daytime admission on Sunday although a lantern festival was on schedule, and the venue did not anticipate changes to operations on Monday. Dade, Catoosa and Fannin counties in far North Georgia planned to cancel school again Monday while other northern counties were keeping an eye on things.
Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Eboni Deon cautioned about morning fog Sunday morning but that after overnight temperatures projected to drop into the mid- and upper-20s, Monday should see a high of nearly 50 degrees in metro Atlanta. Tuesday and Wednesday should be a few degrees cooler but there will still be plenty of sunshine throughout the week, Deon added.
The snow arrived around 7 a.m. Friday and left just over 2 inches in Atlanta and up to 3.5 inches in other parts of the area. It was the most snow in the metro area since January 2018. The total accumulation was greater than what fell in 2014, paralyzing the city for days. But Atlanta seems to have learned from the grim chapter known to history as “Snowpocalypse” or “Snowmageddon” (memorialized in the spot-on “Saturday Night Live” skit featuring local resident “Buford Calloway” who described spending the night on the interstate in his Escalade).
“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 social media post.
Timothy and Gabriela Rader spent Sunday at Chastain Park after warming up at a coffee shop. Timothy Rader was also grateful for the proactive response officials put in place when the storm was approaching.
“I would say that having lived through ‘Snowmageddon’ or whatever you want to call it,” he said, “that was nothing.”
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
— Staff writer Fletcher Page contributed to this article.
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