A rare snow storm in the US South has knocked out power to thousands and caused hundreds of accidents. Even before the first flake fell, flights were cancelled Friday at Atlanta airport. As much as 7 inches (18 centimetres) fell in central South Carolina, one of the hardest-hit areas. The powder wasn't expected linger, though, as it has in the US capital, Washington, and states to the north.
Federal forecasters said every state but Hawaii had snow on the ground somewhere Friday, a freakishly rare occurrence. It was even snowing along East Coast beach towns. Airlines scrapped more than 1,800 flights, many of them at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.