Post date: Jan 30, 2014 12:1:27 PM
Wintry storm in the U.S. South strands thousands of motorists for hours on frozen roadways and brings heavy snowfall into Pacific Northwest.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 29, 2014) (NBC) - A rare ice storm turned Atlanta into a slippery mess on Wednesday (January 29), stranding thousands for hours on frozen roadways and raising questions about how city leaders prepared for and handled the cold snap that slammed the country's south.
The storm, which has killed at least seven people, on Tuesday (January 28) swept over a region of about 60 million largely unaccustomed to ice and snow - stretching from Texas through Georgiaand into the Carolinas - and forecasts called for more freezing weather on Thursday (January 30).The one-day snowfall of 2.6 inches (6.6 cm) ranked as the 20th heaviest in Atlanta, which has recorded a daily snowfall of an inch or more 55 times since 1928, according to the National Weather Service.
The city's highways became parking lots and thousands of motorists were stuck after the storm hit. Workers who could not get home were setting up makeshift accommodations in stores and offices.
About 800 traffic accidents were reported in the city, but there were no serious injuries, officials said. At least five deaths in Alabama and two in Georgia were blamed on the weather.
In the Pacific Northwest mountains pass, the heavy snowfall continues and Washington State Department of Transportation warns motorists of bare and wet motorways with snow slush in places advising people to have traction tires.