The National Weather Service extended a winter storm watch further south and east, set to begin Friday morning as North Georgia and metro Atlanta brace for snow.
“Significant accumulations of snow, sleet, and freezing rain will lead to hazardous travel conditions and the potential for power outages,” the agency warned Wednesday evening.
The winter storm watch will be in effect from 7 a.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday, extending as far south as Griffin and Eatonton.
North Georgia is projected to get up to about 4 inches of snow Friday, according to Channel 2 Action News chief meteorologist Brad Nitz. In higher elevations, where below-freezing temperatures will linger, the snowfall could reach or exceed 6 inches, the NWS predicts.
Closer to the city, areas north of I-20 could see between 1 and 3 inches of accumulated snowfall before the freezing rain moves in, Nitz said. Those to the south are expected to get more of a wintry mix of snow and freezing rain with significant ice accumulations.
The timing of the snow’s arrival is still fluctuating. Nitz said ice and snow will appear in parts of west Georgia around daybreak. The winter storm will then quickly move east, bringing mainly snow to parts of metro Atlanta and North Georgia between 9 a.m. and noon, Nitz said.
Warmer air will push northward from the south, bringing freezing rain through the afternoon and evening into North Georgia. The rain is expected to compact the snow, creating icy conditions and hazardous roads, according to Nitz. About a tenth of an inch of ice is projected in most parts of metro Atlanta.
Highs are expected to stay around 34 degrees, about 6 to 10 degrees lower than Wednesday and Thursday’s predicted high temps. The rain and snow will move out of the state to the east by around 11 p.m. Friday.
The NWS stressed that residents should not focus on where exactly snow will turn to slushy rain because the forecast will be fine-tuned over the next couple of days.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
In hopes of avoiding the calamity of 2014′s “Snowpocalypse,” which stranded motorists and disrupted life in Atlanta, the state and local governments are trying to prepare now. More than 1,000 traffic crashes were reported during that storm, which brought only 2.6 inches of snow.
Getting the roads treated ahead of the storm is paramount, Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency spokesperson Christen Kelley said.
Forecast details provided by the Weather Service — such as the amount of precipitation and whether the snow will stick — will “make or break our plans, or make us shift into a different direction,” Kelley told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
She encouraged the public, including the agency’s own employees, to stay home until Sunday. She said staff will likely sleep at GEMA overnight so they don’t have to be out driving.
“We’re still watching and waiting,” Kelley added.
State offices within the affected areas, including Columbus, Macon and Augusta, will be closed Friday, Gov. Brian Kemp announced.
Earlier, in a news release, Kemp warned that hazardous conditions are expected, particularly Friday and Saturday, with the greatest risks on bridges, overpasses and untreated roads. Workers will begin brining roads north of and along I-20 on Thursday, he said.
“...(W)e are actively monitoring the approaching winter storm and taking action now to ensure our communities are prepared for any possible impact,” Kemp said in the statement. “Along with state agency leaders, I’m urging Georgians to stay weather aware, especially as they make plans for the coming days.”
Slick patches could persist until Sunday morning, as any remaining moisture from the wintry precipitation may freeze overnight Saturday. Lows then are expected to dip into the 20s. Residents who need to brave the cold weather are encouraged to have at least a half-tank of gas and stash emergency supplies — such as tire chains, blankets, a windshield scraper and a shovel — in their cars.
Some areas have already seen icy patches. Crews in Gwinnett County, for example, have had to treat ice on roads both Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.
Georgia Power said it’s monitoring the forecast, and crews stand ready to respond. Local stores have stocked up in anticipation of customers seeking winter weather supplies, such as snow shovels, pipe insulation, firewood and hand and toe warmers.
Warming centers have also opened across the metro area for those needing to seek shelter.
Isaac and Bhavnasingh Emmanuel, a couple who lives in Midtown, told the AJC they already stocked up on everything they need to weather the storm. They live close enough to a grocery store to walk.
”Even if it does snow, it’ll probably be a day of snow and another day of ice and then it will all blow over,” Bhavnasingh Emmanuel said.
Local transportation departments will be prepping roads for ice over the next few days.
Crews from the city of Atlanta are readying 20,000 gallons of brine and 5,500 tons of salt. Plus, 200 employees are on call to get the job done. Residents will start to see brine trucks and spreaders beginning at 1 a.m. Thursday through the early afternoon.
Workers will initially treat priority roadways, particularly bridges and overpasses that are the first to freeze. The city is also focused on making sure routes to medical facilities and police and fire stations are prepped in case of emergency.
DeKalb County is providing some smaller cities, including Pine Lake and Lithonia, with salt, sand, gravel and calcium chloride.
All Atlanta government offices, including the courthouse, will be closed Friday. Residents should also expect delays in garbage and recycling collection, and bulk pickup originally scheduled for Friday will be rescheduled for next week.
Winter weather has already hit large swaths of the country, but this weekend’s storm is the first to threaten the Southeast this season. The storms have caused the cancellation of about 200 blood drives across the country, the Red Cross reported. Heavy snow that blanketed Washington D.C. this week briefly delayed events related to former President Jimmy Carter’s memorial services.
What’s on deck for Georgia is part of the same system that is producing high winds that are fueling wildfires in California. High pressure associated with dry weather and windy conditions is clashing with a low pressure system there, which is making winds even heavier. That low pressure system, associated with rain and inclement weather, will drift eastward and then up the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, pushing moisture into the already cold air over the Peach State.
— Staff writers Alia Pharr, Riley Bunch and Caroline Silva contributed to this article.
Metro Atlanta warming centers
The city of Atlanta will open a warming shelter at 8 p.m. each evening at least through Thursday at the Central Park Recreation Center at 400 Merritts Avenue, with the Old Adamsville Recreation Center at 3404 Delmar Lane serving as an overflow location.
In DeKalb, four warming centers will be open 24 hours a day until further notice. They include:
» Frontline Response International at 2585 Gresham Road;
» Tobie Grant Recreation Center at 593 Parkdale Drive;
» Mason Mill Recreation Center at 1340 McConnell Drive;
» Exchange Recreation Center at 2771 Columbia Drive.
An overnight warming center will be available at the North DeKalb Senior/Community Center, located at 3393 Malone Drive.
Gwinnett’s warming stations will open at least through Thursday starting at 6 p.m. They include:
» Buford Senior Center at 2755 Sawnee Avenue;
» Shorty Howell Park Activity Building at 2750 Pleasant Hill Road;
» Best Friend Park Gym at 6224 Jimmy Carter Boulevard;
» Centerville Senior Center at 3025 Bethany Church Road;
» Lawrenceville Senior Center at 225 Benson Street.
In Cobb, MUST Ministries will open its winter weather shelter nightly at least through Friday. Those looking to spend the night should check in by 8 p.m., the organization said. Dinner and a hot breakfast will be served. The shelter is at 1297 Bells Ferry Road in Marietta.
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