Atlanta spent the weekend on high alert as a winter storm moved in from North Georgia. Threats of freezing rains and ice accumulations pushed many residents to stay inside and off the roads. Midtown’s weekend school activities shut down, and the district announced Saturday evening that schools would be closed Jan. 26. Forecasters now warn that more icy weather could return Jan. 30 through Feb. 1, with the potential for strong winds and cold conditions.
At Midtown High School, teachers began adjusting their plans once the district confirmed Monday’s closure. Some prepared backup assignments in case power outages or hazardous roads made it impossible to return to school.
“As teachers, we are always planning ahead,” math teacher Kevin Xander said. “When school closures happen, teachers have to adjust the plans that have already been made so that every student stays on track with their progress. Every teacher works hard at being flexible so that every student gets the support they need.”
English teacher Carey Overby added the school’s A/B schedule made the closure even more complicated.
“We have a fixed A/B day calendar here at Midtown, so missing Monday due to the ice storm means our A-day classes are going to be ahead of our B-day classes,” Overby said.
The storm’s uncertainty affected more than just school schedules.
Residents across the city began preparing early, stocking up on groceries, salt and other essentials. While temperatures remained above freezing, Melissa Medori, a spokesperson for The Weather Company, said the uncertainty of the forecast made early preparation especially important.
“For this event, our goal moved beyond just reporting ice totals to providing impact?based communication,” Medori said. “Because the margin between cold rain and a catastrophic ice event is so narrow in the Southeast, we focused on actionable data.”
Morningside resident Thashnee Govender said her family prepared early to avoid last-minute complications.
“We didn’t make any plans this weekend and bought groceries ahead of time to ensure we could have cozy days in on Saturday and Sunday,” Govender said.
By Friday afternoon, airlines at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were already warning passengers about delays and cancellations. Carter Rude, a Delta Air Lines pilot, said the upcoming weather conditions would bring major operational challenges.
“Freezing rain sticks to airplane wings which disrupts the airflow over the wing, reduces lift and adds extra weight,” Rude said. “Planes have to be fully de-iced before takeoff. That process takes time.”
As Saturday arrived, the first signs of storms began to show. Temperatures dropped throughout the afternoon as city officials urged residents to stay off the roads after sundown.
Sunday brought the worst of the weather. Rain continued into the early hours, freezing trees, cars and power lines in layers of ice. Throughout the day, trees in Midtown collapsed under the weight of the ice. Virginia-Highland resident and Midtown parent Lauren Jarrell said the ice caused significant damage at her home.
“There was so much ice accumulation that a huge branch broke off an old oak tree and fell on our carport,” Jarrell said. “It punched a hole in the carport’s roof and knocked the gutters off. That’s going to be a costly repair.”
Many businesses closed across the city, and residents were advised to stay indoors until conditions improved. Church services, sports practices and weekend activities were canceled. Rather than staying inside, Jarrell said her family spent part of Sunday trying to prevent further damage.
“Then we were outside in the freezing rain, racing to cover the hole with a tarp so there wouldn’t be additional damage,” Jarrell said. “There wasn’t much about this storm that we thought was cute.”
Virginia-Highland Elementary parent Brooke Harwell said the storm reshaped her family’s plans, but also brought an upside.
“Because of the ice storm our church was cancelled on Sunday and our children’s schools were cancelled on Monday,” Harwell said.“While any disruption to routine can be tough, we were grateful for more family time together.”
Air travelers were also heavily affected as the storm continued through Sunday. Al Villarin, who was connecting through Atlanta on his way to Asheville, said the disruption began early in the day.
“I received a notice at 10 a.m. Sunday that my 2 p.m. flight was cancelled and I was automatically rescheduled for a 9:30 p.m. flight: ATL to AVL [Atlanta International Airport to Asheville Regional Airport],” Villarin said. “Delta alerted me at 2:30 p.m. that my only flight at 9:30 p.m. was cancelled. I was then rescheduled for the next flight—8 a.m. Monday.”
Villarin said the cascading delays were tied to conditions across the country.
“I incorrectly assumed I would be able to fly to AVL,” Vilarin said. “Unfortunately, the plane which I was supposed to take from ATL to AVL could not get to ATL due ice-rain in other parts of the country. So, as a domino effect, later ATL flights were impacted by weather earlier on the day from other airports.”
By Monday, temperatures rose and the leftover ice had mostly melted. While students across Atlanta stayed home after Atlanta Public Schools cancelled classes, some still had to report to work. Junior Tate Thompson, who works at a restaurant in Colony Square, said she ended up working a very quiet shift.
“I had to go in because we were one of the only restaurants at Colony Square that was open,” Thompson said. “Management made it clear that if we could safely get there, they needed us to help cover the shift. It felt kind of weird going in when everything else around us was shutting down, but I knew I should.”
Thompson said living close to her work made the commute easier.
“I live really close to work, so the drive was short and the roads were basically empty,” Thompson. “It was a bit eerie seeing Midtown so quiet.”
Forecasters say freezing temperatures could return later in the week. Medori said The Weather Company’s meteorologists expect any snow in Midtown to be minimal and unlikely to cause major impacts. She added that the storm highlighted how vulnerable Atlanta is to even small amounts of ice.
“This storm proves that the future of weather tech isn’t just about more data—it’s about context,” Medori said. “A quarter?inch of ice in Atlanta is a much different beast than it is in the Midwest.”
