Atlanta, better known for its blisteringly hot summers, experienced arctic temperatures and heavy snowfall earlier this week, leading to chaos as workers, emergency services and school buses all took to the roads at the same time. Unfortunately, the wintery blast was so sudden that few of the motorways had been treated with salt, resulting in dangerously slippery conditions and the inevitable pile-ups.
The congestion grew so bad that many drivers were forced to abandon their vehicles or sit in freezing temperatures without food or water. According to local news reports, more than 15,000 school children were slept on buses stuck in the traffic. The chaos has led to recriminations as to who was to blame for the icy gridlock, with politicians blaming the weather service and vice versa.