Schools are canceling classes across the southern United States as another flurry of winter storms moves in

DALLAS (AP) – Schools and buildings from Texas to Georgia were closed Thursday or prepared to close ahead of freezing rain and snow forecast for much of the southern United States as another outbreak of falling temperatures and winter storms threatened to snarl travel again.

Schools in Texas canceled classes for more than 1 million students in anticipation of icy and potentially dangerous conditions that could last into Friday. Closures also kept students home in Kansas City and Arkansas’ capital, Little Rock, while Virginia’s capital, Richmond, remained under a weather-related boil advisory.

The cold coincided with rare wildfires in January ripped through the Los Angeles area, forcing residents to flee burning homes through flames, fierce winds and towering clouds of smoke.

Texas harnesses for snow

In the Dallas area, crews treated roads ahead of the expected arrival of 2 to 4 inches (about 5 to 10 centimeters) of snow Thursday. Up to 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) was expected farther north near Oklahoma, according to the National Weather Service.

Gov. Greg Abbott said the state deployed emergency crews in advance and urged residents to avoid driving in bad weather if possible.

Boston native Gina Eaton, who was stocking up on groceries in Dallas ahead of the storm, said she’s afraid to share the roads with drivers who aren’t used to ice and snow.

“Even though there’s ice, I’m very comfortable driving in it,” Eaton said. “It’s just other people that scare me.”

The roads could be slick Friday as 75,000 fans were expected to head to AT&T Stadium in Arlington for the college football semifinals between 1 p.m. Texas and Ohio State in the cotton bowl. Arlington spokeswoman Susan Shrock said crews will be ready to address any hazardous road conditions.

Southern discomfort

A mix of sleet, snow and freezing rain was expected along a stretch from New Mexico to Alabama. Forecasters said the heaviest amounts were likely in parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas.

The system was expected to push northeast on Friday with heavy snow and freezing rain all the way to the Virginia and North Carolina coasts. As much as 8 inches (about 20 centimeters) of snow could fall into pieces from Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia through Saturday, the weather service said.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced the closing of some state offices on Friday. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said city offices would be closed and employees are working remotely.

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Director Patrick Sheehan said he expected schools across the state to close Friday, although decisions will be made at the local level.

The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually spins around the North Pole, but it sometimes heads south into the United States, Europe and Asia. Some experts say that such events are happening more frequently, paradoxically, because of a warming the world.

The agricultural impact

Some parts of Kansas have received nearly a full year’s worth of snow over the past few days, affects farmers and ranchers “in ways that we haven’t seen in this area for a very, very long time, potentially a lifetime,” said Chip Redmond, a Kansas State University meteorologist.

Calves are particularly vulnerable and can die when the temperature drops below zero. And so much snow in rural areas can prevent farmers from reaching herds with food and water

In northern Florida, growers were most concerned about ferns grown for floral arrangements, with Valentine’s Day just a month away.

A boil water order for the capitol of Virginia

Richmond will remain under the boil water advisory until at least Friday as officials work to restore the water reservoir system that failed after a storm caused a power outage, Mayor Danny Avula said.

The city of more than 200,000 residents distributed bottled water at 11 locations, providing it to elderly residents and others unable to get to those locations, officials said.

“We have families in the city, they have no water,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Wednesday. “We have young children where mothers are asking, ‘What should I do with formula?'”

Travel hazards and delays

Thousands of flights across the United States have been delayed or canceled this week amid the winter storms. Hundreds of car accidents have also been reported this week in Virginia, where three people were killed, Indiana, Kansas and Kentucky.

Other weather-related fatalities have occurred since last weekend in West Virginia, North Carolina and Kansas.

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Murphy reported from Oklahoma City. Associated Press reporters Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City; Charlotte Kramon in Atlanta; Nadia Lathan in Austin, Texas; Ben Finley in Norfolk, Virginia; Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas; Kimberly Chandler of Montgomery, Ala.; Chris O’Meara in Tampa, Florida; John Raby of Cross Lanes, West Virginia; Dylan Lovan in Louisville, Kentucky; and Julie Walker in New York contributed.

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