Weatherman Chesley McNeil talks navigating Atlanta through 'Snowmageddon' chaos 10 years ago

January 26th, 2024

The ice-covered interstate system shows the remnants of a winter snowstorm in Atlanta on Jan. 29, 2014.
David Tulis / Associated Press file

Ten years ago on Jan. 28, 2014, a snow and ice storm of two-plus inches hit metro Atlanta. The city literally froze still. It was dubbed the Snowpocalypse, or Snowmageddon.

The blizzard started mid-day after most people had left their homes. What began as light snowfall hit the roadways and compacted into ice, trapping people on the interstate for nearly 24 hours.

11Alive meteorologist Chesley McNeil was on the air for hours on end that day, navigating us through the chaos.

He told WABE’s “Morning Edition” how quickly conditions changed after the first flakes fell, discussed lessons learned moving forward, and forecasted that Atlanta could soon be due for another snowfall.

Lily Oppenheimer contributed to this report.