Schools and cities from Texas to Georgia are closing in anticipation of the freezing rain and snow predicted for much of the southern United States.
Another wave of winter storms across the United States on Thursday closed schools, grounded flights and put millions of residents in the South under snow and freezing rain warnings that could cause dangerous travel conditions.
Texas schools canceled classes for more than a million students ahead of the arrival of frigid, icy weather that could last until Friday. Closures also kept students home in Kansas City and Arkansas, while in Virginia, frustrations ran high in the state capital over a boil water advisory caused by an earlier round of winter storms.
Hundreds of flights had already been canceled Thursday morning in Dallas, according to the tracking platform FlightAware.
The cold snap coincided with rare January wildfires that raged through the Los Angeles area, forcing residents to flee burning homes amid flames, fierce winds and huge clouds of smoke.
Texas prepares for snow
In the Dallas area, crews treated roads ahead of the expected arrival of 2 to 4 inches (about 5 to 10 centimeters) of snow on Thursday. Up to 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) was expected further north near Oklahoma, according to the National Weather Service.
Gov. Greg Abbott said the state sent emergency teams ahead of time and urged residents to avoid driving in bad weather if possible.
Boston native Gina Eaton, who stocked up on groceries in Dallas before the storm, said she has some trepidation about sharing the roads with drivers who aren't used to ice and snow.
“Even if it's ice, I feel very comfortable driving on it,” Eaton said. “It's just other people that scare me.”
Roads could be slick Friday as 75,000 fans were expected to head to AT&T Stadium in Arlington for the college football championship semifinal between Texas and Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. Arlington spokeswoman Susan Shrock said crews will be ready to address any dangerous road conditions.
Discomfort in the south
A mix of sleet, snow and freezing rain was expected for a stretch from New Mexico to Alabama. Forecasters said the strongest amounts would likely be in parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas.
The system is forecast to move northeast on Friday with heavy snow and freezing rain to the Virginia and North Carolina coasts. Up to 8 inches (about 20 centimeters) of snow could fall in parts of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia through Saturday, the weather service said.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced the closure of some state offices on Friday. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said city offices would be closed, and employees would work remotely.
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Director Patrick Sheehan said he expected schools across the state to close on Friday, although decisions will be made at the local level.
The polar vortex of ultracold air usually revolves around the North Pole, but sometimes ventures south toward the United States, Europe, and Asia. Some experts say such events are happening more frequently, paradoxically, because of a warming world.
The agricultural impact
In recent days, some areas of Kansas have received nearly an entire year's worth of snow, impacting farmers and ranchers “in a way we haven't seen in this area in a long time, possibly the entire nation.” life,” said Chip Redmond, a meteorologist at Kansas State University.
Calves are especially at risk and can die when temperatures drop below freezing. And so much snow in rural areas can prevent farmers from reaching flocks with food and water.
In northern Florida, farmers were most concerned about ferns being grown for flower arrangements since Valentine's Day is just a month away.