More than 20 Southern states have been hit by snow and sleet. : NPR

A winter storm has slammed into a number of states, leaving a blanket of snow, sleet and freezing rain throughout the South. One of many hardest-hit locations was Atlanta, the place greater than 220 automobiles have been stranded on the aspect of the highway and spun out on Friday. The area’s greatest snowstorm in years has additionally canceled greater than 900 flights on the metropolis’s Hartsfield-Jackson Worldwide Airport.

Metro Atlanta has seen between two to 4 inches of snow. However it might worsen now that the snow is transitioning into sleet and freezing rain. NWS’ Peachtree Metropolis, Ga., meteorologist Keith Stellman says that has him involved about ice.

“Particularly if the ice stays on bushes into [Saturday],” Stellman says. “As a result of we predict winds to select up tomorrow, [it] might trigger an influence outage concern as a few of that ice is on bushes and energy traces.”

And ice is heavy, so relying on what falls on it, can break it, in line with Andrew Dessler, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M College.

“ Tree branches, you get sufficient ice on there, it’s going to, the tree department will collapse,” Dessler says. “The tree department will take out no matter’s beneath it, if it is a energy line or a fence or something like that.”

Georgia has a winter storm warning in place till Saturday morning, however state officers are urging individuals to remain dwelling till Sunday. When you do must get on the highway, Georgia Division of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry says keep on roadways which can be plowed and clear.

“The place it is slushy, bear in mind to decelerate,” McMurry says. “Drive very conservatively. No laborious braking, and no fast maneuvers of the steering wheel [be]trigger it’s slick.”

Folks needing shelter or warming stations can attain out to the state’s Division of Pure Assets. Gov. Brian Kemp says parks within the North Georgia Mountains are close to capability.

“So only a bit of recommendation there, for those who’re on the lookout for a spot, chances are you’ll need to go south versus north for those who can,” Kemp mentioned.

That is Georgia’s most important snow storm since 2018, in line with Stellman. That is when just a bit greater than two inches of snow fell.

Little Rock and Southwest Arkansas have been additionally thrashed by snow. Greater than 34,000 Arkansans have misplaced energy after 15 inches of snow fell throughout southwest Arkansas. Little Rock noticed 9 inches .

Entergy Arkansas, the state’s largest electrical energy supplier, says energy must be restored by Saturday afternoon. That is additionally near when the state’s winter storm warning ought to finish.