Winter Storm Causes Power Outages and Flight Delays in North Georgia

A nasty mix of freezing rain and below-freezing temperatures has been causing havoc in North Georgia. The winter storm began with snow, transitioned into freezing rain, and now icy conditions are intensifying. As of 11:00 a. m. , Georgia Power reported that they still have around 60, 000 customers without power. They have managed to restore electricity to more than 230, 000 customers, but the hardest-hit areas in metro Atlanta are Alpharetta, Jonesboro, and the city of Atlanta itself. Unfortunately, there's no specific timeframe for when the remaining customers will get their power back. Just before 11:00 a. m. , the Federal Aviation Administration removed the ground delay status from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Flight tracker Flight Aware confirms that a total of 331 flights have been canceled, with another 350 delayed. Earlier in the morning, at around 10:35 a. m. , wires were reported down on I-285 eastbound near Bouldercrest Road. Traffic pacing was implemented in both directions to ensure safety. At 9:00 a. m. , the number of canceled flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport stood at 322, with 180 delayed. Simultaneously, approximately 70, 000 customers in metro Atlanta were without power.

The storm's impact extends to sports as well. The Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets basketball game set for Saturday afternoon at State Farm Arena has been postponed. The new date is yet to be announced. The power outages and flight issues began early in the morning. As of 6:30 a. m. , over 66, 000 customers in the metro Atlanta area were without power. At the airport, there were 314 canceled flights and 49 delays. The situation was similar at 5:30 a. m. , with 311 flights canceled and 45 delayed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. At 4:30 a. m. , 307 flights were canceled and 42 delayed. Even in the early hours, the challenges were notable. By 1:05 a. m. , 213 flights had been canceled and 27 delayed at the Atlanta airport. At the start of the day, around 1:00 a. m. , total power outages across Georgia reached about 92, 000 customers, affected by both Georgia Power and Georgia’s Electric Membership Corporations. At midnight, the Dunwoody Police reported downed trees and power lines across the city, highlighting the widespread impact of the storm. Winter storms have always been a challenge in North Georgia, but this year's freeze, coupled with freezing rain, has created especially tough conditions.

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