• At least 400 flights out of Atlanta have been cancelled as the region deals with wintry weather
• Delta cancelled 375 flights while Southwest shelved 40 of their departures on Friday
• Snow fell in southern Texas on Thursday night and Friday morning as cold air swept across the Deep South
• Parts of Texas have received their first snow in more than a decade – occurring just eight times since 1948
• Forecasters said the white stuff won't last long as the ground is too warm for it to accumulate beyond an inch
• Pictures from San Antonio showed residents embracing the winter weather by making snowmen outside
• One man even dressed up as Father Christmas for a walk downtown as temperatures fell to 32F, or freezing

By Charlie Moore and James Gordon For Dailymail.com

Published: 15:21 EST, 8 December 2017 | Updated: 15:28 EST, 8 December 2017

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled across the southern United States as airlines deal with a winter storm across the region.

Delta Air Lines said it had canceled about 375 departures on Friday. The airline whose headquarters are in Atlanta decided to reduce the operation's workload because of the need to de-ice planes.

The airline also waived change fees for passengers scheduled to fly Friday and Saturday who wanted to change their travel plans.

Southwest Airlines, the second-largest carrier at Atlanta Airport also canceled more than 40 flights.

Planes line up on the tarmac as snow falls delaying travel at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Friday. Delta cancelled 375 flights while Southwest shelved 40 flights as the wintry weather struck

A heavy morning snow falls in Jackson, Mississippi as an electronic sign posts a winter weather advisory for drivers along I-55. The forecast called for a wintry mix of precipitation across several Deep South states

By early afternoon, steady snowfall had left a thin, white blanket on rooftops and patches of ground in downtown Atlanta. People were leaving work early, businesses were closing and some roads were already jammed – reminding some residents of the 2014 storm that brought the city to a standstill and stranded motorists on roads overnight with just 2 inches of precipitation.

Friday's forecast called for a wintry mix of rain and snow across several states. Parts of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi reported snow flurries before dawn. The weather band also prompted closures in the Carolinas and brought a rare snowfall to parts of South Texas.

'It's the first snow of the season and any time you even mention snow in the South, you're going to get people a little panicky,' said David Nadler, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's office south of Atlanta.

A man wipes snow off the windows of a vehicle as a heavy morning snow falls

Worshippers link arms to avoid slipping as they walk along a snow-covered walkway to St. Richard Catholic Church

American flags wave as snow falls, blanketing vehicles in a car sales lot, in Jackson

The snow that blanketed parts of the Deep South Friday delighted schoolchildren with an unexpected holiday but also revived panicky memories for many adults of past storms that trapped commuters on interstates for hours.

In Alabama, manager Liza Snell worked the morning shift at Bertile's Restaurant, as coffee cups and utensils clattered and regulars talked at their tables. Through the window she saw anything but a pretty winter scene in the town of Grove Hill, about 80 miles north of Mobile.

'We got a lot of sleet right now. It's an ugly thing – cloudy, wet and cold,' she said.

A football blocking sled is coated with snow at Murrah High School in Jackson, Mississippi. Forecasters anticipate continued snowing throughout much of the central and southern Mississippi until the afternoon

Emmaline Dendinger enjoys a hearty bite of snow. The forecast called for a wintry mix over the next few days

Snow also fell in southern Texas on Thursday night and Friday morning as cold air swept across the Deep South with Georgia and Louisiana expected to freeze this weekend.

Forecasters said the white stuff won't last long as the ground is too warm for it to accumulate beyond half an inch – but that's still enough to excite those Texans who rarely see snowflakes.

Pictures from San Antonio showed residents embracing the winter weather by making snowmen and playing outside. One man even dressed up as Father Christmas for a walk downtown as temperatures fell to 32F.

Snow is common in parts of north Texas but not in the southern part of the state which has only have eight snow flurries since 1948.

It led to many sharing their surprise on Twitter with one calling it 'a Texas Christmas miracle!' The snow will even reach Corpus Christi which hasn't seen the white stuff since 2004.

Snow is falling! Dressed as Santa Claus, Eldon Hansen stands in front of the Alamo as snow falls in downtown San Antonio

Snow fell in southern Texas on Friday morning as cold air swept across the Deep South with Georgia and Louisiana expected to freeze this weekend

Forecasters said the white stuff won't last long as the ground is too warm for it to accumulate beyond half an inch – but that's still enough to excite those Texans who rarely see snowflakes

A person walks under a street light as snow falls in Birmingham, Alabama

Forecasters said the biggest chance for more snow was along the Interstate 85 corridor from Alabama crossing Georgia through Atlanta and into South Carolina once the temperature begins falling

Winter weather advisories have been posted for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas

'It's the first snow of the season and any time you even mention snow in the South, you're going to get people a little panicky,' said David Nadler, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's office near Atlanta.

The National Weather Service said a half inch to an inch of snow is forecast across many areas of the South by Friday night.

Winter weather advisories have been posted for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas.

The advisories were issued for cities including Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Hattiesburg, Mississippi and Birmingham, Alabama.

There were snow flurries before daybreak Friday in the north Georgia mountains after Houston, Texas saw its first snow since 2009, the National Weather Service said.

South Texas cities such as Corpus Christi and Brownsville are also expected to see flakes fall with around 2-3 inches possible around Corpus Christi which has only had eight days on record with measurable snow fall since 1948. .

In the Atlanta area, where sporadic ice storms in recent years have paralyzed the freeway system and brought Georgia's biggest city to a standstill, forecasts called for possible light snow accumulations later in the day.

Pictures from oustide the Alamo Mission in San Antonio showed residents embracing the winter weather by making snowmen and playing outside

As the morning commute began, roads were mostly wet with a light drizzle falling and temperatures still above freezing.

'There's a lot of uncertainty right now' about just where the snow could fall and in what amounts, Nadler cautioned.

Forecasters said the biggest chance for snow was along the Interstate 85 corridor from Alabama crossing Georgia through Atlanta and into South Carolina once the temperature begins falling.

Temperatures by sundown Thursday had already begun to dip in Atlanta, where tailgating football fans shivered and huddled around small barbeque grills atop downtown parking decks before a night game between the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and the visiting New Orleans Saints.

Nadler said temperatures in the Atlanta area were expected to range from 35-40 degrees Friday morning with little fluctuation the rest of the day.

'We're not expecting temperatures to drop below freezing until sometime Friday evening,' Nadler said.

That was a sprinkling of good news for Atlanta commuters ahead of the morning rush hour. But Georgia road crews took no chances and were already pre-treating bridges and overpasses late Thursday with a briny water-and-salt mix against any snow or ice.

Bill Shelton, road maintenance director in suburban Cobb County, northwest of Atlanta, said the brine could be used on roads 48 hours ahead of any precipitation.

'The cost to do the whole county, every bridge and overpass, is probably $100 worth of salt,' he said Thursday. 'It is worth it to be proactive and keep our roads safe for the traveling public.'

Original Article

Daily Mail

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