Snowstorms, deep freeze, drought exemplify crazy January weather

A mix of record-setting snowstorms, freezing temps and drought this January made weather the supreme topic of conversation in the USA.

Responses to the challenging weather conditions depended on the city.

In Atlanta, ice and 2.6 inches of snow left thousands of motorists stranded or forced them to abandon their cars on Jan. 28-29.

City offices closed. One person stranded in gridlock for 10 hours compared conditions to 'a scene from the Walking Dead.'

Atlanta traffic traps commuters for 12 hours after snow

Commuters abandoned cars along the highway to seek shelter in churches and fire stations after a rare snowstorm has left thousands of unaccustomed Southerners frozen in their tracks.

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But, heroes emerged. A police officer helped deliver a baby on Interstate 285. A gas station owner fed trapped motorists. Many of those affected reached out via social media, connecting on a Facebook page called "SnowedOutAtlanta."

Dad describes delivering baby during Atlanta snowstorm

The winter weather caused massive problems for people throughout Georgia, especially on the highways near metro Atlanta. One woman was forced to deliver her baby on the side of a major highway, with just the help of her husband and a police officer.

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The bitter weather hit deep into the South. In North Florida, a rare winter storm warning went into effect on Jan. 28. Parts of Interstate 10 bridges were closed due to icing. The freak southern storm was blamed for 13 deaths.

Atlanta Snow: Firefighters rescue stranded school kids

A sudden snow storm in Atlanta Tuesday left several children stranded on their school bus through a frigid overnight.

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Late show hosts, including Comedy Central's Jon Stewart, lent some comic relief to the situation.

Further west, University of Michigan students enjoyed their first snow day since 1978. Indiana reported that state highway plows are having a record winter. And Des Moines, Iowa, has seen record number of water main breaks due to extremely cold temps.

Meanwhile, drought has plagued California. Governor Jerry Brown declared a statewide drought emergency on Jan. 17.

Discoveries have been made since, including a Gold Rush-era town at the bottom of a very dry Folsom Lake. The dry spell finally ended in Sacramento on Jan. 29 with its first rain in 52 days.

Early this month, a blast of brutally cold air - thanks to the polar vortex - roared across the central and eastern USA, sending temperatures to levels not seen in 20 years.

It was so FREAKING cold that:

• Green Bay Packers fans were grilling beers while tailgating to unfreeze them
• An escaped prisoner in Kentucky turned himself in to combat the cold air
• Three brothers built a 16-foot snow shark in their parents' front yard in Minnesota
• Chicago's resident polar bear at the Lincoln Park Zoo stayed indoors

What a month in weather.

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