Winter storm’s ice has melted here, but travelers still feeling pain

AUGUSTA, Ga. - The ice on CSRA roadways has melted after Friday’s winter weather, but the storm’s chilly temperatures and remnants are relinquishing their grip slowly across the rest of the South.

Major airports including Atlanta and Charlotte – the hubs that serve most fliers into and out of Augusta Regional Airport – continued to report disruptions Saturday.

And temperatures are expected to plunge after sundown Saturday, raising the risk that melting snow will refreeze, turning roadways more treacherous – if not in the CSRA, then possibly elsewhere in the region.

In the air

While flights are operating Saturday, airlines are already piling on new cancellations and delays after Friday’s weather slowed airline travel to a crawl.

By 10 a.m. Saturday, more than 300 flights in and out of Atlanta – where many CSRA travelers drive to fly out of and where others change planes – had been canceled, while more than 250 more had been delayed, according to tracking software FlightAware.

More than 200 flights in and out of Charlotte had been canceled, while more than 100 were running late.

Delta and American, are the two airlines that serve Augusta Regional, and their hubs are in Atlanta and Charlotte.

Delta Air Lines, the largest carrier at the Atlanta airport, said late Friday that it was “working to recover” on Saturday, saying cancellations would be worst among morning flights because of crews and airplanes that weren’t where they were supposed to be after the airline canceled 1,100 flights on Friday.

Lines spilled over into terminals at the world’s busiest airport. Several people waiting to go through the main security checkpoint said they had stood in line for at least two hours to get through. Some said they even had to spend the overnight hours sleeping inside the airport.

At Augusta Regional on Saturday, the flight schedule showed most arrivals and departures on track, but there was at least one canceled arrival and two delayed ones Saturday. Departures were much the same.

On the road

Road conditions are much better.

The roads are mostly dry across the CSRA, and the temperature is above freezing, so the remaining wet spots aren’t much of a threat to drivers.

After plowing snow and sleet off Interstate 20 and Bobby Jones Expressway in the Augusta area, Georgia Department of Transportation crews worked through Friday night to keep treating the roadways.

Crews continued applying brine to the thoroughfares as they worked 12-hour shifts.

Power outages

After freezing rain pushed up electricity outages above 110,000 in Georgia on Friday night – including at least a couple of thousand in the CSRA – many of those outages were being restored Saturday.

In the CSRA, McDuffie County was hit hardest, with around 2,000 outages Friday night. The totals in Columbia, Richmond and Wilkes counties approached 1,000 in each location. Other local counties saw numbers ranging from a few dozen to less than 200.

There had been concern that ice accumulations from freezing rain could bring down some power lines as well as trees that were already weakened by Hurricane Helene.

Georgia Power said it had brought in equipment and crews from places like south Georgia and Florida to help restore power quickly and was monitoring conditions from its high-tech weather center.

Schools and activities

School was canceled on Friday for millions of children from Texas to Georgia and as far east as South Carolina, giving them a rare snow day.

Kids in the CSRA got out to build snowmen and enjoy a rare snowball fight on Friday.

There were some inconveniences for parents, as some school districts, like Aiken County, waited until the last minute to cancel classes – in some cases meaning some kids boarded school buses that only turned around and brought them home. And Columbia County decided to dismiss classes as early as 10:30 a.m. after students had already arrived.

Many school sports were canceled Friday night and even Saturday, with some being moved to Sunday.

The Atlanta Hawks postponed the pro basketball game they were supposed to host Saturday afternoon against the Houston Rockets.

What’s ahead

The storm that brought snow to the South was forecast to move out to sea off the East Coast on Saturday, leaving behind snow showers in the Appalachian Mountains and New England.

The News 12 First Alert team says any remaining ice will melt away during the day Saturday, but much colder than average temperatures are here to stay for the next week.

After a cloudy start Saturday, expect sunshine and windy conditions for the afternoon. Highs will be well below average in the middle 40s. Winds from the west to northwest at 12 to 17 mph gusting as high as 25 mph at times.

Another cold front will through the region Monday.

See the full forecast from the News 12 First Alert team.