UPDATE 10:45 P.M. THURSDAY
FROM THE NWS: “Forecast snowfall totals have come down areawide due to higher confidence in a transition to a wintry mix/freezing rain during the day Friday. Far north Georgia still looks to receive the most — 2-3″ inches, with locally higher amounts up to 4-5.” #gawx”
UPDATE 3:45 P.M. THURSDAY
FROM THE NWS: “All areas within the previous Winter Storm Watch have been upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning. We are becoming increasingly concerned with the potential for damaging freezing rain accumulation along and north of the I-20 corridor throughout the day Friday. #gawx“
The Georgia Mountains YMCA will be closed Friday.
Lumpkin County schools will be closed Friday for all students, teachers, and staff.
All City of Gainesville administrative offices and facilities will be closed Friday. This includes the WeGo service provided by Hall Area Transit and the Frances Meadows Aquatics & Fitness Center.
Hall County Government facilities, including the government center, courthouse, community centers, campgrounds, landfill, compactor sites, animal shelter and libraries, will be closed Friday. The landfill, compactor sites, community centers, campgrounds, libraries, and animal shelter will reopen at normal business hours on Saturday if conditions permit.
Northeast Georgia Health System is closing its physician practices, urgent care clinics and other locations. All hospitals in the system and their emergency rooms will remain open.
Georgia DOT Advisory: The I-75 Northwest Corridor Express Lanes northwest of metro Atlanta, and the I-75 South Metro Express Lanes south of metro Atlanta, will close at 11:30 Thursday evening and will remain closed ’til further notice.
Travel conditions are expected to begin to deteriorate with the onset of wintry precipitation Friday morning, and road conditions could change quickly.
For their safety, motorists in affected areas are asked to plan now to limit travel as much as possible from Friday morning through mid-day Saturday. Avoid driving unless absolutely necessary or postpone until daylight when road conditions may be more visible. If you must venture out during this time, please drive with extreme caution and give GDOT crews room and space on the roads to help ensure they can safely do their jobs. Please be aware of the brine trucks and know they must travel 40 mph to properly apply the treatment. Motorists are also advised not to pass a Georgia DOT truck spreading salt or gravel, as gravel may kick up and damage vehicles which are following too closely. Please pay attention and stay back at least 100 feet.
UPDATE 12:45 P.M. THURSDAY
*Forsyth County Schools will be closed Friday, but it will be an “online learning day” for students. In addition, Forsyth government offices will be closed as well. This includes, but is not limited to, all general county government offices, the Forsyth County Courthouse and Courthouse Annex, the Pet Resource Center, recycling convenience centers, Senior Services, Access Forsyth transportation services, and Forsyth County Parks & Recreation’s indoor and gated facilities. All Parks & Recreation programs and activities are also cancelled.
ORIGINAL STORY. POSTED AT 11:00 A.M. THURSDAY:
Due to the high probability of snow and ice early Friday morning, the Hall County School District (HCSD)
will be closed Friday and classes for Gainesville City Schools have reportedly been canceled, too.
“This decision was made in consultation with the Hall County Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service out of Peachtree City,” Stan Lewis, a spokesman for county schools said.
In addition, all practices and extracurricular events scheduled for Friday and Saturday are canceled.
“We certainly hope conditions improve by Monday,” Lewis continued. “However, if road conditions have not improved by Monday morning, the district will consider having a school from home day on January 13, provided power is available to families.”
A decision regarding Monday’s practices and extracurricular events – whether schools are closed or operating remotely – will be made by Monday morning.
Meanwhile, 97.5 Glory FM is awaiting confirmation from Gainesville school officials to reports that classes in city schools have been called off for Friday.