Super Bowl LIII: Snow possible in Atlanta on Tuesday, but officials say city is prepared
In this Jan. 29, 2014 file photo, taken with a fisheye lens looking south toward downtown Atlanta, the ice-covered interstate system shows the remnants of a winter snow storm, in Atlanta. The National Weather Service projects that up to an inch (2.5 centimeters) of snow is possible Tuesday in Atlanta, with up to 2 inches (5 centimeters) in far northern suburbs. Forecasters warn of the possibility of ice-glazed roads and highways. Credit: AP/David Tulis
ATLANTA — The first big issue facing Super Bowl LIII could be the weather.
Forecasts are calling for rain, cold and even snow in the Atlanta area on Tuesday. Some schools in the region already have announced they will be closed for the storm.
It’s producing flashbacks to the last time a Super Bowl was here in 2000, when ice storms crippled the city and threw the infrastructure of the big game into chaos. This time, officials promise that won’t happen.
“Atlanta is ready,” said Brett Daniels, COO of the host committee, at his welcome news conference on Monday. “We are prepared . . . no matter what happens on Tuesday.”
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms added that possible bad weather “has been a part of our preparation for the last two years. We are expecting snow and ice to come through [Tuesday] . . . For those who are staying in the downtown area, you shouldn’t have a problem getting in and around downtown for the 24 hours that we are expecting inclement weather.”
The forecast for Sunday is for temperatures in the 50s with a 50 percent chance of rain.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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