Flights grounded and events canceled as dangerous deep freeze grips unexpected parts of US

Snow cancellations and delays may be nothing new for the Northeast, but this weekend, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida were among the states that have seen big events canceled or postponed due to frigid temperatures.

From the coastal Carolinas through the Northeast and New England, winter weather was forecast and was expected to cause travel headaches Saturday and Sunday as Fox Weather has been reporting.

Airlines canceled scores of flights for Saturday and beyond in anticipation of the extreme weather. 

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By roughly 3 p.m. EST Saturday, more than 12,000 U.S. flights were either delayed or canceled by the nor'easter off the Southeast coast, according to FlightAware. 

That number included total disruptions from Friday through Monday. 

The surprising twist was the slew of cancellations in - among other places - South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. 

"The dangerously cold wind chills as low as 8 above zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes," the National Weather Service said in a warning for many parts of Florida. 

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"Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures. ... Young children, the elderly and the homeless are especially vulnerable to the cold," the NWS also said. 

Throughout the Southeast, children's activities were affected. Even Disney and Universal closed their water parks.

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon water park, located in Lake Buena Vista, was closed due to arctic temperatures. Universal's Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando Resort was shuttered Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 due to extreme weather, Fox Business reported. 

Zoo Miami was to remain open, but some animals have been no-shows. 

"They're being kept back just for the warmth that they need," said Ron Magill, the zoo's communication director, as WSVN reported. 

"Sunday's forecast for Miami at 36 would tie the low mark set in 1909," according to The Miami Herald.

Georgia shuttered numerous attractions, too. The Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Zoo Atlanta, Center for Puppetry Arts and Michael C. Carlos Museum were all reported to be closed on Saturday.

In North Carolina, the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey circus performances scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro were canceled due to a state of emergency and snow emergency declared by local officials, according to the venue's website. 

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Here is a sampling of a few other highly anticipated events or activities that have been canceled or postponed, according to the latest information available Saturday afternoon. 

Due to the deep freeze, the annual Polar Plunge in Myrtle Beach in which people run into the frigid Atlantic Ocean to raise money for the local Special Olympics was taken off the schedule. 

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Organizers cited forecasts of "significant snowfall, dangerously cold temperatures and hazardous travel conditions throughout the weekend." Those interested can still donate to the effort. 

"We strongly encourage everyone to stay home, stay warm and stay safe while this storm moves through our area," the event's website noted. 

Sports fans looking forward to Braves Fest at Truist Park found themselves making other plans for the weekend. 

The Braves Fest event sponsored by Delta Air Lines was canceled due to weather. 

"We were very excited to celebrate with the more than 76,000 fans who had claimed tickets for the event," a statement on the Atlanta Braves' website said.

"However, given the anticipated impact throughout our region, we want to ensure the safety of our fans who were planning to travel from near and far for the event." 

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) canceled live racing this weekend at Aqueduct Racetrack.

NYRA had previously canceled racing Wednesday through Friday, so there was no live racing all week.

Aqueduct Racetrack said it would be open for simulcasting, betting on races that run elsewhere.

On Saturday, Connecticut was enduring glacial temperatures in the teens. 

The organizers of the Penguin Plunge fundraiser postponed their Sunday, Feb. 1 event, which would have been the first-ever in the town.

Organized by the police department to support Special Olympics Connecticut, the event is to feature officers jumping into a mobile plunge pool at West Hartford Town Hall to raise money and awareness for the cause.

Anyone can still donate as they wish. The fundraising event is being pushed back to an as-yet unannounced date in March, according to reports.