THE SOUTH GETS A WHITE CHRISTMAS! LAST TIME IT SNOWED IN ATLANTA WAS 1881!

It's beginning to look a lot like a white Christmas - a day late.

A storm that battered the midwest and dumped rare Christmas morning snow on parts of Dixie - to the squealing delight of children across Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee - is heading up the East Coast.

The storm, which is forecast to hit the city Sunday, was already playing havoc with holiday travel. Hundreds of flights were canceled.

"Mother Nature is going to be a big factor," said AAA spokesman Lon Anderson. "She's calling the shots this holiday season and in many places it will be very tough going."

After blanketing the Midwest, the storm swooped south on Friday and is expected to intensify as it moves northeast toward New England, where 10 inches are expected Sunday.

How much snow falls in New York depends on how far off the coast the storm veers. Some analysts say the city might escape altogether, while others are predicting five to eight inches late Sunday.

The National Weather Service said the storm could bring more than 5 inches to Washington, D.C. - a city that struggles with even a light dusting.
Delta Air Lines canceled 500 Christmas Day flights - many of them leaving the airline's Atlanta hub - to get ahead of the storm, and there were scattered cancelations at other airlines.

Delta, Continental, United, American and AirTran said they would waive penalties for travelers needing to reschedule trips this weekend.

The last time it snowed on Christmas in Atlanta was in 1881.


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