Travel chaos hits the South as heavy snow leaves passengers stranded

Several inches of snow and freezing rain are expected to make the Monday moing commute nearly impossible in Atlanta and other parts of the South.

Countless of cars were stuck on impassable highways and roads, while the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport - the world's busiest - cancelled all flights in and out of the city in an unprecedented move.

The winter blast rolled across the South yesterday, coating bridges and roads with snow, sleet and freezing rain and causing at least one death in Louisiana.

Snow and ice had blanketed several cities, including up to three inches in parts of Atlanta, which rarely gets so much.

'We don't have weather events like this,' Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said in an on-air interview with CNN. 'I think the amount of snow we're getting is probably a 10-year event for the city of Atlanta.'

Despite officials imploring people to stay off the roads, interstates around Atlanta were clogged with cars early this moing.

Georgia was expecting up to six inches in the northe mountains from the powerful storm that also dumped snow and ice in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas.

Stranded: Many travelers in Atlanta have had their joueys delayed during the worst snowstorm to hit the region in over ten years

Forecasters said the front could also bring sleet and freezing rain lasting into Tuesday in Georgia.

And unlike other times when an inch or two of snow coats the ground, temperatures were not expected above freezing into Tuesday, so it won't melt.

'Since it's going to be pretty cold over the next few days, we could see whatever accumulates sticking around for a few days,' National Weather Service meteorologist Daniel Lamb said.

Forecasters expected the most extreme conditions in Mississippi and northe Louisiana oveight with the possibility of heavy ice accumulation in places.

In northe Louisiana, state police said a woman died yesterday in a single-vehicle crash on an ice covered highway.

Clear up: Work crews have been deployed to try and clear the snow around the airport but with more snow scheduled for today they may be fighting a losing battle

Kaneshia Logan, 30, died when her SUV slid down an embankment on Interstate 20 and hit a tree, trooper Cordell Williams said.

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley said workers had readied snow and salt trucks to help clear icy roads, and he asked all residents to stay home through Monday unless it is imperative to travel.

Birmingham roads were ice-covered and treacherous, weather service meteorologist Mark Rose said.

He added that some areas were reporting at least a tenth of an inch of ice in the central Alabama city. Quite a few roads were closed, and conditions were expected to deteriorate oveight.

Mississippi officials waed motorists that ice on roads and bridges in many counties created hazardous driving.

The weather service posted winter storm waings from east Texas to the Carolinas.

The snow in downtown Atlanta came down heavily for hours. Other areas were experiencing thunder snow and even lightning.

Planes grounded: Hartsfield-Jackson Airport - the world's busiest - has cancelled all flights in and out of the city today

Cars were having trouble on the slippery streets and highways all over the South, with numerous slideoffs, though there were no immediate reports of serious accidents.

Off and on, the snow was mixing with sleet around Atlanta, said National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Beasley.

The storm forced Georgia officials to move today's inauguration of newly elected Gov. Nathan Deal from the state Capitol steps inside to the shelter of the House chamber.

The inaugural gala was scrapped to keep supporters off treacherous roads.

Thousands of flights have been canceled at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Inteational Airport, the world's busiest.

Delta Air Lines canceled 330 flights Sunday and another 1,400 flights Monday. AirTran Airways canceled 14 flights yesterday and another 270 for topday, spokesman Christopher White said.

Arrive alive: A truck makes its careful way over an ice-packed road in Lenexa, Kansas yesterday

Reed said officials did not want people to be stranded at the airport or on planes.

Dallas-Fort Worth Inteational Airport spokesman David Magana said 200 flights, or about a quarter of the schedule, were canceled in anticipation of the weather.

In easte Tennessee, the Weather Service said four to six inches of snow could fall, with the heaviest hitting early today.

Churches across the South canceled Sunday night services.

The worship leader at one prepared to use a web camera to broadcast an abbreviated worship service over the Inteet from his home since members couldn't make it to church.

'I'll just do one or two acoustic songs, something like that, just to keep it going until next week,' said Ben Nelson of Helena United Methodist Church in suburban Birmingham.

Besides snow, some areas around the city have gotten a tenth of an inch of ice, the weather service said.

Aubu University students must go somewhere other than campus to watch the Tigers play in the national championship bowl game Monday.

The university has canceled all viewing parties and other events planned as the state prepares for severe winter weather.