Rare winter storm paralyzes Atlanta

Traffic inches along at the connectors of Interstates 75 and 85 as snow blankets the Atlanta metro area Tuesday afternoon. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal is preparing to declare a state of emergency as a winter storm coats the region with snow and ice. State transportation officials said a mass of commuters leaving downtown Atlanta at once created traffic jams on interstates and surface streets. (Ben Gray / Associated Press)

Jan. 29, 2014 7:57 AM PT

An unusual blanket of snow across the South triggered epic traffic snarls and stranded hundreds of students at their schools.

Jesse Hatcher looks over his crashed car after he says another motorist caused him to lose control of his vehicle and spin out off Interstate 20 West near Conyers, Ga. (Curtis Compton / Associated Press)

Icicles hang off a camellia bush in historic Forsyth Park after freezing rain hit the area in Savannah, Ga. (Stephen B. Morton / Associated Press)

Matt Defrain scrapes the ice and snow off his windshield in Canton, Ga. A winter storm paralyzed the Deep South on Tuesday, bringing snow, ice and teeth-chattering cold. (Kelly J. Huff / Associated Press)

Deon Jackson, a worker for the Georgia Building Authority, salts steps in front of the state Capitol in Atlanta. (Kent D. Johnson / Associated Press)

Nicolia Gruendler prepares for heavy snow as she takes a short break during her run on Flat Shoals Avenue in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin / Associated Press)

Good Samaritan Sammy Rouchdi pushes stranded motorist Cameron Scheeler up an iced-over hill on Womack Road after the car became stuck as Scheeler tried to get home in Dunwoody, Ga. (Curtis Compton / Associated Press)

From left, Taylor Wood, Mary Kate Megehan and Aislin Sheffield sled down a hill in Athens, Ga. (AJ Reynolds / Associated Press)

The snow-covered statue of late Georgia governor and U.S. senator Richard B. Russell points the direction for a pedestrian as she makes her way past the state Capitol while snow begins to accumulate in Atlanta. (John Amis / Associated Press)

Dozens of motorists become stranded on Womack Road as dropping temperatures turn the hill into a sheet of ice in Dunwoody, Gia. (Curtis Compton / Associated Press)

World & Nation

Rare winter storm paralyzes Atlanta

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