UPDATE 7:45 P.M.
From Hall County Emergency Management Agency
Current Weather Conditions:
Wind Speed: E 5mph
Wind Chill: 24F
Precipitation: Light Freezing Rain
Forecasted Weather:
Tonight: Freezing rain, possibly mixed with sleet before midnight, then a slight chance of freezing rain between midnight and 1am. Low around 29. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New ice accumulation of 0.1 to 0.3 of an inch possible. New sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Anticipated Precipitation Amounts:
Total snow and ice accumulation: TBD
Advisories/watches/warnings:
Winter Storm Warning
Road Conditions/Issues/Closures:
MONROE DR – ROAD CLOSED FROM ATHENS HWY TO DANBURY LN.
MARTIN RD – ROAD CLOSED FROM 53 TO QUAILWOOD DR.
VAUGHANDALE CIR – ROAD CLOSED FROM DAWSONVILLE HWY TO SARDIS CHURCH RD.
OLD FLOWERY BRANCH RD / MCEVER RD – ROAD CLOSED
Power Outages:
GA Power: 881
Jackson EMC: 442
Sawnee Electric: 27
Habersham EMC: 1
From 97.5 Glory FM: The Georgia Mountains YMCA will be closed Saturday.
UPDATE 3:15 P.M.
From Hall County Emergency Management Agency
Current Weather Conditions: Light freezing rain, fog/mist
Temp: 29F
Wind Speed: E 7mph
Wind Chill: 22F
Visibility: 4 mi
Accumulation Totals: TBD
Forecasted Weather:
Today: Freezing rain mixed with snow. After 4pm freezing rain mixed with sleet. High 33F. Winds East 5-10mph possibly up to 15mph
Ice Accumulation: 0.1 to 0.3 of an inch
Snow/Sleet Accumulation: up to 1in
Tonight: Freezing rains. Low 29F. Winds calm 5-15mph.
New ice/snow accumulation: 0.1-0.3in
Precipitation Amounts: 0.01
Advisories/watches/warnings:
Winter Storm Warning
Road Conditions/Issues/Closures:
– 211 @ WINDER HWY
– OLD FLOWERY BRANCH RD / MCEVER RD
– VAUGHANDALE CIR AT DAWSONVILLE HWY TO SARDIS CHURCH RD
– MONROE DR – ROAD CLOSED FROM ATHENS HWY TO DANBURY LN
Power Outages:
GA Power: 0
Jackson EMC: 1
Sawnee Electric: 0
Habersham EMC: 0
The halt of departing and arriving flights at the Atlanta airport has been extended until at least 10:00 tonight, according to the FAA. As of 2:00 Friday afternoon, more than 900 flights flying in or out of the airport had been canceled or delayed. In addition, four passengers on a Minnesota-bound plane were injured this morning before flights were halted when it developed an engine problem while waiting to take off. The injuries occurred as they exited the plane using the emergency exit chutes. The injuries were not serious.
As the impacts of snow, sleet and freezing rain began to grip north and central Georgia, the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) transitioned its operations from pre-treatment using brine to active snowplow and removal in much of the state. (Pictured: GDOT snowplow) With several inches of snow in some locations, more than 300 pieces of equipment are now deployed across the region to plow Georgia roads. Crews continue to work 12-hour shifts and are prioritizing those routes that are heavily traveled by emergency vehicles. However, residents should understand that with continued precipitation still in the forecast for much of today, including sleet and freezing rain, conditions on the roads continue to deteriorate and should be considered hazardous for travel. Numerous crashes and incidents have been reported on Georgia’s interstates and state routes. For their own safety, motorists should continue to heed all warnings to stay off the roads.
UPDATE 11:15 A.M.
From Hall County Emergency Management and Homeland Security:
Current Weather Conditions: Snow/Freezing Fog
Temp: 27F
Wind Speed: E 5mph
Wind Chill: 21F
Visibility: .50mi
Accumulation Totals: 0.01
Forecasted Weather:
Today: Freezing rain mixed with snow. After 4pm freezing rain mixed with sleet. High 33F. Calm winds 5-15mph.
Ice Accumulation: 0.1 to 0.3 of an inch
Snow/Sleet Accumulation: up to 1in
Tonight: Freezing rains. Low 29F. Winds calm 5-15mph.
New ice/snow accumulation: 0.1-0.3in
Precipitation Amounts: 0.01
Advisories/watches/warnings:
Winter Storm Warning
Road Conditions/Issues/Closures:
– 211 @ WINDER HWY SHUT DOWN
– 365/CAGLE RD CLOSED IN ALL DIRECTIONS
– OLD FLOWERY BRANCH RD / MCEVER RD – ROAD CLOSED
– ATHENS HWY/OAK GROVE RD – ROAD CLOSED ALL DIRECTIONS
Power Outages:
GA Power: 0
Jackson EMC: 1
Sawnee Electric: 0
Habersham EMC: 0
UPDATE 10:45 A.M.
Gainesville Police and Hall County sheriff’s deputies are reporting slick roads all over the county and have responded to numerous traffic accidents. (Photo courtesy Gainesville Police)
UPDATE 10:15 A.M.
GEORGIA NEWS NETWORK – Not long after the freezing precipitation moved into the northern part of Georgia this morning, more than 600 flights were cancelled at Hartsfield-Jackson, with nearly 350 additional delays. At 10:15, flights into and out of the airport had been halted. The FAA says the ground stop will be in effect until noon at least. Atlanta news first is reporting snow removal crews have been working feverishly to clear the runways and get flight schedules back on track.
At 10:15, only a handful of power outages had been reported in the immediate Gainesville area. They were in Hall and Habersham counties
UPDATE 9:45 A.M. FRIDAY
Hall County Emergency Management has activated the Emergency Operations Center. Representatives from essential County departments are present to monitor roadways and coordinate crews who stand ready to clear roads and assist public safety personnel throughout the event.
(Photo courtesy Oakwood Police)
UPDATE: 8:00 A.M. FRIDAY
Snow has begun falling in Hall County. And by 8:30 it was being reported across much of north Georgia.
UPDATE 7:15 A.M. FRIDAY
Do you remember? The National Weather Service (NWS) reminds us this was exactly 14 years ago:
“In 2011, one of the most significant winter storms to affect north and central Georgia in years began on the evening of the 9th and continued through much of the 10th. Four to eight inches of snow was common across most of north Georgia north of I-20. South of I-20 and into central Georgia, there was a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain. Major interstates and roads were impassable across north Georgia for 2 to 3 days and many schools were closed for the entire week.” (Photo courtesy NWS. 2011 snow. Marietta)
THIS MORNING: NWS radar at 7:15 showed mostly rain moving across middle Georgia from the west with a few patches of freezing precipitation north of that. Atlanta was reporting snow and ice pellets and Newnan and Peachtree City were reporting light snow.
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.
McEver Road United Methodist Church has canceled Sunday morning activities: 9:00am Holy Grounds, 10:00am Sunday School Hour, and the 11:00am Worship. Church officials are doing so because they are not confident that by Sunday morning conditions will be optimal enough for congregants to travel safely to the church campus.
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.