Snowstorm Spreads Across South, Threatening Travel to Super Bowl

A storm spread more snow across the South on Friday, threatening travel to the Super Bowl.

The storm, which had dumped up to 17 inches of snow in Oklahoma, dropped between an inch and a foot in Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee before stalling near the Alabama-Georgia line.

The storm was expected to re-form and head east, hitting the Atlanta area with up to 3 inches of snow through Super Bowl Sunday.

“It could potentially turn into a significant icing,” Weather Channel meteorologist Robyn Hulecki said.

As a precaution, Delta Air Lines canceled some flights into Atlanta Friday afternoon, but promised to accommodate passengers trying to get to the Super Bowl. More than 100,000 people are expected in Atlanta for the game between the Tennessee Titans and the St. Louis Rams.

“We want the customers to get down there to the Super Bowl,” said John Farmer, Delta station manager in Nashville, Tenn. “We’ll work with them any way we can to get them there by kickoff.”

Todd Benson, 28, of Kansas City, Mo., managed to beat the storm and arrive at the Atlanta airport Friday. “I feel very lucky that we made it here, that the flight did not get canceled,” he said.

In Mississippi, Gov. Ronnie Musgrove activated about 300 National Guardsmen to help communities.

President Clinton approved a disaster declaration Friday for 30 Georgia counties because of an ice storm last week that caused an estimated $55 million in damage.