Snowstorm heads south; some flights canceled

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A Christmas Eve snowstorm that blanketed parts of the Midwest was expected to bring rare Christmas Day snowfall to parts of the Southeast, prompting some airline flight cancellations and delays.

After dumping 9 inches of snow in Iowa by Friday morning, the storm was predicted to dip south into Tennessee and Georgia today and then move north Sunday. Winter weather advisories were in effect from Kansas east to Kentucky and from Minnesota south to Arkansas on Friday.

In Minnesota, the storm brought 6 inches of snow to Minneapolis and St. Paul. It pushed the monthly total there to 33.4 inches, topping the previous December record set in 1969.

The National Weather Service said that for the first Christmas in 17 years, Nashville and Atlanta could get more than just a dusting of snow.

The storm was expected to intensify and move northeast on Sunday to the mid-Atlantic states and New England.

Delta Air Lines spokesman Morgan Durrant said 500 weather-related flight cancellations were planned for today nationwide. That included 300 of the 800 scheduled departures from the Atlanta hub. Durrant said those affected had been notified.

“Atlanta will see more cancellations (today) than on Sunday,” he said. “The Mid-Atlantic region could see cancellations Sunday.”

Air Tran spokeswoman Judy Graham-Weaver said Friday evening: “Right now we aren’t precancelling flights.” The airline had only canceled two flights, from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., and Tampa, she said.

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