Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday put the state under a state of emergency through Jan. 14, authorizing the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to mobilize resources. It also prohibits price gouging and lifts restrictions on trucks delivering supplies. Stock photo Ronnie Chua/Getty Images
Snow is rare enough in Georgia that a few inches of accumulation can spark wonder in school children, but the fluffy white flakes can also be a major pain for those who need to worry about commuting to work or managing a household.
Much of north Georgia is under a winter storm warning from Friday morning until Saturday. The far northern part of the state can expect between two and four inches of accumulation, according to the National Weather Service. Further south, down to below the I-20 corridor, including metro Atlanta, NWS forecasters predict a wintery mix leaving up to two inches of snow and sleet on the ground, with freezing rain leading to up to a quarter inch of ice.
“As the day goes along, it’s going to move east across the state,” said NWS meteorologist Vaughn Smith. “So the entire state is going to see some form of precipitation, but north and portions of central Georgia will see snow, ice, freezing rain.”
Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday put the state under a state of emergency through Jan. 14, authorizing the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to mobilize resources. It also prohibits price gouging and lifts restrictions on trucks delivering supplies.
“The Georgia Department of Transportation, along with the Department of Public Safety, began treating roads early this morning to prepare for the approaching winter storm, and I’m asking all Georgians to help them do their jobs by limiting travel as much as possible in the coming days,” Kemp said in a statement. “Hazardous conditions, including ice and snow, can develop quickly and make travel very dangerous. Plan ahead and stay tuned to updates from state and local officials to ensure you and your loved ones remain safe while our first responders continue to work tirelessly throughout this weather event.”
State crews began brining roads on Thursday, focusing on areas along and north of I-20 and are expected to treat roads across the metro area and north to the Tennessee line. Department of Public Safety personnel will be on standby across the state to help deal with problems that arise.
Smith echoed Kemp’s warning about travel.
“Ice is going to be the main concern, and anything on the road will freeze, even if it’s snow, it’s going to be frozen, so it’ll be like ice, so if you do not have to go anywhere, please do not,” he said.
Ice can also be a problem for trees and power lines across the affected areas.
“There will most likely be some power outages, because with the ice concerns, that ice is kind of heavy on the power lines, tree limbs, stuff like that,” Smith said. “So it’s just going to depend on where we get the higher accumulations as to where the higher power outages and tree damage and things of that sort will occur. It’s going to be across the entire area, so it’s hard to say who is going to have the most ice versus snow, but that’s basically what we’re looking for.”
On the bright side, Saturday is expected to be sunny and in the mid-30s for much of the state, Smith said, which should help roadways dry off before the thermometer dips below freezing again Saturday night. Thawing out could take a little longer up in the north Georgia mountains and on roadways that don’t get direct sunlight, so drive with caution.
“Just stay as warm as possible,” Smith said. “Follow any precautions when it comes to space heaters, depending on the type of space heater you may have. If you are concerned about your pipes freezing, let the water run a little bit, protect outside faucets in your house so they don’t freeze. Shut them off from the inside if you can. Bring pets, plants, anything of that sort that you may have outside, inside.”
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