Parts of South Africa unaccustomed to winter weather were waking up on Friday to a mix of snow and ice that has already closed schools, as officials warned that travel could be close to impossible and power outages were possible.
Important things to know
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In the Southern United States, it doesn't take a large amount of snow or ice to disrupt daily life.
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Snow fell from North Texas to Memphis from Thursday evening into early Friday, and up to five inches were reported in Little Rock, Ark., and Oklahoma City as of 5 a.m. Eastern, according to the National Weather Service.
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Parts of the Mid-Atlantic, Ohio Valley and Northeast could see one to three inches of snow from Friday through Saturday.
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Although the storm will move out to sea on Saturday, the region will see cooler temperatures next week, increasing the likelihood of hazardous travel conditions.
In Atlanta, where public schools are closed, forecasters expect heavy rain and up to three inches of snow beginning Friday morning. With the northern part of Georgia under a winter storm warning, Gov. Brian P. Kemp declared a state of emergency Thursday because of the forecast and said it would be in place Tuesday.
The governor asked citizens to avoid traveling as much as possible for the next few days. “Hazardous conditions, including snow and ice, can develop quickly and make travel extremely dangerous,” he said in a statement.
Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee also declared a state of emergency Thursday afternoon. Although Tennessee is familiar with winter storms, some areas, such as Memphis, may experience their largest two-day snow total in 40 years. Parts of the region are still recovering from Helene, which passed through the region as a tropical storm in September.
Forecasters in Nashville urged residents not to focus on exact snowfall amounts, because any amount could make travel dangerous.
In Atlanta, it's been nearly 11 years since a minor snowstorm, in what's called snowmageddon, shut down the city and became the punchline of a “Saturday Night Live” skit.
Although it has snowed in the city since then, the latest storm can still catch people off guard as the type of rain changes from day to day. What's expected to start out as snow Friday morning could turn into sleet and sleet across the Atlanta metropolitan area, threatening to turn neglected roads into icy hazards by evening.
Across North Carolina, similar conditions will begin to develop during the afternoon hours on Friday and last through Saturday night. Accumulations of up to two inches are currently expected in the Mid-Atlantic area east of the Allegheny Mountains.
The storm is expected to move away from the coast, where it will strengthen but stay far enough away to avoid becoming a major threat to the Northeast.
The unusually cold weather across the East Coast is expected to continue into next week, allowing for more snow. And where snow melts during the day, it can refreeze at night, creating ongoing hazards.
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