Georgia Covered In Snow, Ice As Bomb Cyclone Brews

ATLANTA, GA — Wind chill advisories and freeze warnings were the order of the day throughout Georgia on Wednesday, as a weather system called a "bomb cyclone" brought snow, sleet and freezing rain to unlikely locations including coastal south Georgia.

Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for 28 counties along the Georgia coast and inland from the Florida state line toward central Georgia. Schools and businesses in the region had shut down in reaction to the declaration, which remains in effect through midnight on Friday.

"The state has begun preparations for potential winter weather in the 28 counties, including sending all Georgia Department of Transportation brine trucks and 75 additional plows to the impacted areas," said Deal. "The emergency declaration ensures all state resources are available if necessary. We will continue monitoring the weather and provide updates as needed. I encourage all Georgians in the potentially impacted areas to stay informed, get prepared and be safe."

Starting Wednesday, no matter where you live, if you plan to travel by air, it's a good idea to call the airport to check on the status of your flight — or check a flight tracking website like flightaware.com. For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

On Tuesday, Delta Airlines warned travelers the storm could cripple airports in Georgia, the Carolinas and Florida, which are expected to get ice and several inches of snow from the powerful storm system. That could snarl travel plans in the rest of the country as well.

Here are the airports Delta is keeping an eye on:

• Florida: Gainesville Regional Airport, Jacksonville International Airport and Tallahassee International Airport.
• Georgia: Augusta Regional Airport, Brunswick Golden Isles Airport, Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport and Valdosta Regional Airport.
• North Carolina: Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Fayetteville Regional Airport, Raleigh-Durham International Airport and Wilmington International Airport.
• South Carolina: Charleston International Airport, Columbia Metropolitan Airport and Myrtle Beach International Airport.

Delta said it will waive change fees on flights rescheduled after Jan. 7, but a difference in fare may apply. Final travel must be completed by the end of ticket validity, which is a year from the date the ticket was originally issued. If travel is not rescheduled, Delta's customers may cancel their reservation and apply the unused value of the ticket toward the purchase of a new ticket. Those tickets must also be purchased within a year of the date the original ticket was issued.

Meanwhile, in metro Atlanta, snow flurries were in the forecast for Wednesday, mainly after 2 p.m. The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook and wind-chill advisory for the region.

The advisory, in effect until 7 p.m., called for wind chills ranging from 5 degrees to -10 degrees, particularly north of a line from Franklin to Fayetteville to Gainesville. Up to two inches of snow were possible, but that mainly will be south of a line from Rochelle to Dublin to Swainsboro.

The wind chill advisory was in effect until Thursday morning for much of north Georgia. Another may be necessary Thursday night into Friday night, the weather service said.

The exceptionally low temperatures and snow in areas that rarely get it are associated with a weather system meteorologists are calling a "bomb cyclone." The system, developing in the Atlantic Ocean, could carry hurricane force winds, blinding snow and a bomb-like drop in pressure.

READ: What Is A Bomb Cyclone? Powerful Storm, Polar Vortex Brew

As summer hurricanes do, the storm is expected to gather strength off the coast of Florida Wednesday, where it may bring snow and ice to areas not accustomed to such weather, then move on to the New England coast, where some areas could see up to 8 inches of snow.

The powerful storm is expected to bring snow, ice, rain, very strong winds, and rough surf to coastal locations of the Southeast U.S., Middle Atlantic, Northeast, and into New England Wednesday and Thursday, according to the weather service.

By late Wednesday morning, temperatures had managed to creep just north of freezing in metro Atlanta. They were forecast to dip down to a frigid 20 degrees Wednesday night and climb up only to a still-freezing 32 on Thursday before plummeting all the way down to 16 degrees Thursday night.

Photo courtesy Georgia Department of Public Safety