Above: The scene near Blairsville, Georgia on Monday morning.
Florida has thus far escaped the latest winter storm that blanketed the South with snow and ice overnight.
It is a relatively balmly 65° F. (18.3° C.) in Central Florida at noon and forecasters currently predict that temperatures will remain above freezing throughout the forecast period. We are thankful for this forecast as our gardens are sprouting early. . . having already recovered from the extremely cold temperatures we experienced in December 2010.
The powerful winter storm has brought heavy snow and dangerous amounts of freezing rain to much of the South, in a swath stretching from northeastern Texas to southern North Carolina. The storm began Sunday in Texas, then tracked almost due east, bringing snow amounts of 8 - 11 inches to southern Arkansas, northern Mississippi, northern Alabama, and southern Tennessee. As of 9am CST, the heaviest snow amounts as reported in the NOAA Storm Summary were 11 inches at Lawrenceburg, TN and 10 inches at Baldwyn, MS. The worst freezing rain was reported in central Georgia at Fort Valley, where 3/4" of ice had accumulated.
Above: Roger Rose with Hines Engineering clears the snow from the 1180 Peachtree Building Monday, Jan. 10, 2011 in Atlanta.
The storm will bring an additional 2 - 6 inches of snow to eastern Tennessee, central South Carolina, and central North Carolina today, with significant freezing rain possible in northern Georgia and portions of North and South Carolina. Below-freezing temperatures are expected to remain over the region through Wednesday morning, resulting in a long period of dangerous travel conditions.
In Atlanta, stranded vehicles littered roadsides Monday as several inches of snow and sleet coated the city, freezing the morning commute in many areas and canceling thousands of flights through the world's busiest airport.
Above: Two people walk along a street in snow-covered Lake Ivanhoe subdivision in Tucker, Georgia.
The heaviest snow was creeping into South Carolina on Monday morning, but forecasters warned that treacherous travel conditions in many areas of the region could last until Tuesday as below-freezing temperatures turn plowed slush into ice. Officials in several states repoted hundreds of car crashes and urged drivers to stay home. More than 2,000 flights had been canceled around the South — affecting passengers as far away as Scandinavia.
Major Nor'easter expected for New York City and Boston
Today's snow storm is expected to push off the coast of North Carolina tonight, then bomb into a classic Nor'easter off the coast of New England on Tuesday and Wednesday. Up to a foot of snow is possible for New York City, Boston, and coastal Connecticut and Rhode Island beginning on Tuesday night. The Nor'easter will not be as intense as the December 26 blizzard, however. The winds from the new storm are expected to remain less than 35 mph, resulting in only minor coastal flooding and an absence of blizzard conditions (winds in excess of 35 mph and visibility less than 1/4 mile.)
Above: Two people walk along a street in snow-covered Lake Ivanhoe subdivision in Tucker, Georgia.
The heaviest snow was creeping into South Carolina on Monday morning, but forecasters warned that treacherous travel conditions in many areas of the region could last until Tuesday as below-freezing temperatures turn plowed slush into ice. Officials in several states repoted hundreds of car crashes and urged drivers to stay home. More than 2,000 flights had been canceled around the South — affecting passengers as far away as Scandinavia.
Major Nor'easter expected for New York City and Boston
Today's snow storm is expected to push off the coast of North Carolina tonight, then bomb into a classic Nor'easter off the coast of New England on Tuesday and Wednesday. Up to a foot of snow is possible for New York City, Boston, and coastal Connecticut and Rhode Island beginning on Tuesday night. The Nor'easter will not be as intense as the December 26 blizzard, however. The winds from the new storm are expected to remain less than 35 mph, resulting in only minor coastal flooding and an absence of blizzard conditions (winds in excess of 35 mph and visibility less than 1/4 mile.)
Above: Downtown Atlanta Monday morning.
Michigan native Phil Cooper, who lives in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, said he drove 20 miles on barely plowed highways to get to work in the northern part of the city.
"Pretty normal for Michigan, but here in Atlanta, you take 16 lanes of highway and it turns into two," Cooper said.
In Alabama, roads were coated with ice in Shelby County, just south of Birmingham, where Waffle House waitress Stephanie McGougin served eggs and grits to the few diners who could make it inside early Monday. There were plenty of empty seats at the restaurant, which is normally busy.
"I think we're about the only place open," McGougin said.
Above: Southbound I-85/I-75 traffic makes the curve near the Williams St. exit in downtown Atlanta, Monday morning, Jan. 10, 2011, as treacherous driving was the norm.
Despite officials imploring people to stay off the roads, interstates around Atlanta were clogged with cars early Monday. Elsewhere all over the South, cars were having trouble on the slippery streets and highways, with numerous slideoffs.
Above: A lone SUV makes its way along I-285 in Dunwoody, Georgia, Monday morning Jan. 10, 2011.
Highway crews were working to keep major roads passable. Georgia Department of Transportation spokesman Rick Parham said Monday morning that at least one lane was open in each direction on all major highways.
"Since it's going to be pretty cold over the next few days, we could see whatever accumulates sticking around for a few days," National Weather Service meteorologist Daniel Lamb said.
Above: Northbound I-85 was barely traveled at 5:30 am, Monday, Jan. 10, 2011, near the Brookwood exchange in Atlanta.
Outside Nashville, Carla Gaster, the facilities manager for 20/20 Research, observed the snow through her kitchen window in Ashland City before dawn Monday.
Above: Natasha, Evan, and Robert Willis take a walk through the snow on Murfreesboro's (Tennessee) East Main St. on Monday morning.
"It's really soft, fluffy and pretty," Gaster said.
Most canceled flights across the region had been scheduled to fly into or out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest. The airport's long halls were nearly deserted on what would normally be a chaotic Monday morning.
Meanwhile in the Midwest: South Bend nearly sets all-time Indiana snowfall record
Michigan native Phil Cooper, who lives in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, said he drove 20 miles on barely plowed highways to get to work in the northern part of the city.
"Pretty normal for Michigan, but here in Atlanta, you take 16 lanes of highway and it turns into two," Cooper said.
Above: Cars were left abandoned along Eastbound I-20 near Flat Shoals this morning in Georgia.
In Alabama, roads were coated with ice in Shelby County, just south of Birmingham, where Waffle House waitress Stephanie McGougin served eggs and grits to the few diners who could make it inside early Monday. There were plenty of empty seats at the restaurant, which is normally busy.
"I think we're about the only place open," McGougin said.
Above: Southbound I-85/I-75 traffic makes the curve near the Williams St. exit in downtown Atlanta, Monday morning, Jan. 10, 2011, as treacherous driving was the norm.
Despite officials imploring people to stay off the roads, interstates around Atlanta were clogged with cars early Monday. Elsewhere all over the South, cars were having trouble on the slippery streets and highways, with numerous slideoffs.
Above: A lone SUV makes its way along I-285 in Dunwoody, Georgia, Monday morning Jan. 10, 2011.
Highway crews were working to keep major roads passable. Georgia Department of Transportation spokesman Rick Parham said Monday morning that at least one lane was open in each direction on all major highways.
"Since it's going to be pretty cold over the next few days, we could see whatever accumulates sticking around for a few days," National Weather Service meteorologist Daniel Lamb said.
Above: Northbound I-85 was barely traveled at 5:30 am, Monday, Jan. 10, 2011, near the Brookwood exchange in Atlanta.
Outside Nashville, Carla Gaster, the facilities manager for 20/20 Research, observed the snow through her kitchen window in Ashland City before dawn Monday.
Above: Natasha, Evan, and Robert Willis take a walk through the snow on Murfreesboro's (Tennessee) East Main St. on Monday morning.
"It's really soft, fluffy and pretty," Gaster said.
Most canceled flights across the region had been scheduled to fly into or out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest. The airport's long halls were nearly deserted on what would normally be a chaotic Monday morning.
Meanwhile in the Midwest: South Bend nearly sets all-time Indiana snowfall record
Above: Snow from Saturday's record lake effect snow storm in South Bend, Indiana piles up.
An epic lake effect snow storm hit South Bend, Indiana Friday and Saturday, burying the city under a remarkable 36.6" of snow. It was the heaviest two-day snow storm in South Bend's history, breaking a record that had stood since 1909 (a 29" snow storm on January 30 - 31.) The 32.6" that fell in a 24-hour period between 4pm EST 1/7 and 4pm EST 1/8 came just 0.4" short of matching Indiana's heaviest 24-hour snow storm on record. Indiana's heaviest 24-hour snow event was the 33.0" that fell at Salem in December 2004, according to weather underground's weather historian, Christopher C. Burt.
An epic lake effect snow storm hit South Bend, Indiana Friday and Saturday, burying the city under a remarkable 36.6" of snow. It was the heaviest two-day snow storm in South Bend's history, breaking a record that had stood since 1909 (a 29" snow storm on January 30 - 31.) The 32.6" that fell in a 24-hour period between 4pm EST 1/7 and 4pm EST 1/8 came just 0.4" short of matching Indiana's heaviest 24-hour snow storm on record. Indiana's heaviest 24-hour snow event was the 33.0" that fell at Salem in December 2004, according to weather underground's weather historian, Christopher C. Burt.
Above: True color satellite image of the South Bend, Indiana, lake effect snow storm of Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 1:45 EST. A well-defined band of heavy snow developed over Lake Michigan and anchored itself over South Bend, giving the city its heaviest snow storm on record.
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