Winter Storm Warning For Metro Atlanta, 1 GA Death From Cold

Updated at 5:15 p.m.

ATLANTA, GA — Amid hundreds of canceled flights at Atlanta's airport, a death from hypothermia and calls for drivers to stay off the road, a winter storm warning was issued late Tuesday afternoon for the metro. Snow began hitting the ground earlier in the day, according to the National Weather Service.

The warning is in effect until 7 a.m. Wednesday and includes Forsyth, Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Barrow, Oconee, Douglas, DeKalb and Fayette counties, along with the cities of Carrollton, Douglasville, Atlanta, Stockbridge, Marietta, Covington, Decatur, Newnan, Gainesville, Athens, Winder, Conyers, Peachtree City, Cumming and Lawrenceville.

School districts in the metro are changing schedules because of the snowstorm.

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Heavy snow is forecast, with an additional inch of accumulation, the Weather Service said.

"Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses are slick and hazardous. Travel is not advised," the NWS said. "The hazardous conditions will continue to impact the Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning commutes.

Around 1:15 p.m., the NWS reported snow had arrived in areas from Columbus to Americus to Thomaston. Weather officials warned the snow showers can continue during the next couple of hours, particularly in areas south of Interstate 85.

In updates, with potential impacts to linger on Wednesday, several school systems hoped to have decisions regarding openings or closures by Tuesday evening.

This all came after a person died of hypothermia Monday night ahead of Georgia's second snowstorm this winter season.

The death was announced by Director Chris Stallings of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, at a news conference. He did not say where the person died.

Officers in Gwinnett County were working several weather-related crashes, Gwinnett County Police said in a Facebook post around 4:45 p.m. Police reported road closures at Five Forks Trickum Road and Scenic Way, Level Creek Road and Puritan Drive and Jimmy Carter Boulevard and Britt Road.

The storm brought flurries near Hiram and central Georgia early Tuesday morning, NWS meteorologist Carmen Hernandez told Patch, who added Baldwin County experienced light sleet.

The snow showers are derivative of cold air already in place and a low-pressure system coming from the Gulf Coast, Hernandez said. This comes nearly two weeks after a major snowstorm slammed Georgia, bringing about 2 inches of snowfall into the Atlanta area.

She predicted about a half-inch of snow to start around 1 p.m. and taper off around 7 p.m. in the metro. Ice accumulations are not anticipated, however, the snow could freeze the roadways.

RELATED: 300+ Flights Delayed At Atlanta Airport Amid Snowstorm

Contrastingly, State Meteorologist Will Lanxton said up to 2 inches of snow is in the forecast for areas in the winter weather advisory, while areas in the warning could feel up to 5 inches of snow.

Gov. Brian Kemp on Monday placed Georgia under a state of emergency until 11:59 p.m., Jan. 28. Local school systems and multiple organizations, including the Georgia Department of Corrections, shut down on Tuesday.

The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency urged residents to protect their pipes and practice home heating safety.

The storm could cause impacts in the next 36-48 hours, possibly entering Thursday, state officials said.

A National Weather Service model indicated significant snowfall across Georgia, the weather officials said on Facebook around 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Dry air was prompting the snow to dissolve before hitting the ground, but the NWS warned a moistening will cause a shift as snow will land on the surface.

Lanxton echoed this sentiment, adding the snow could quickly accumulate once it does hit the surface.

"It’s going to take a little bit of time for the snow to actually reach the ground," he said.

Kemp advised drivers limit their travel, while Lanxton said travelers should get off of the roads by noon Tuesday.

Lanxton said he hopes Wednesday's sunshine will melt the snow, though state officials suggested the snow could refreeze due to dwindling temperatures.

The roads on Wednesday are expected to remain slick, and temperatures will not climb above freezing until Thursday, Hernandez said.

Wednesday wind chills could reach 0-10 degrees in north Georgia and 5-15 degrees in the central region.

Metro Atlanta will undergo a cold weather advisory from 10 p.m. Tuesday until 9 a.m. Wednesday and is under a winter weather advisory until 7 a.m. Wednesday.

RELATED: How To Keep Your Pipes From Freezing As Cold Hits GA

Elsewhere, a winter storm warning was issued in south Georgia, where heavily mixed precipitation was forecast, starting around 1 p.m. Tuesday. South Georgia could see up to 4 inches of snow and sleet and up to two-tenths of an inch of ice.

Russell McMurry, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Tranportation, said middle and south Georgia are not acclimated to see these snowfall totals.