Winter Storm Warning Issued As GA Braces For Storm

ATLANTA, GA — Georgia was placed under a winter storm warning hours before a strong weather system was set to blanket the state with snow, freezing rain and sleet.

The National Weather Service upgraded its alert Thursday afternoon, showing an elevated risk for "damaging freezing rain accumulation along and north of the I-20 corridor throughout the day Friday."

The warning will go into effect at 7 a.m. Friday and will end at 7 a.m. Saturday for most of north Georgia, including metro Atlanta. Areas further south are now under a winter weather advisory.

Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday declared a state of emergency across Georgia, effective immediately, as Winter Storm Cora has put the state on alert.

Furthermore, Kemp is permitting the activation of the State Operation Center to gather necessary resources. The SOC will be at a Level 2 activation starting at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The state of emergency blocks price gouging, Kemp said. The order will expire on Tuesday.

"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,” he said in a news release.

“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."

Snow will push itself eastward from west Georgia Thursday night into Friday, possibly trekking farther south than originally expected, the National Weather Service said Thursday.

The NWS said north Georgia could receive 1-3 inches of snow, with the mountainous areas potentially seeing increased amounts, amid an East Coast Arctic blast. Snow may build up to 2-4 inches in far north Georgia.

In metro Atlanta, snow may become sleet and freezing rain in a blend of wintry precipitation, the NWS forecasted.

Cities along the Interstate 85 and Interstate 20 corridors rest in the riskiest areas for freezing rain accumulations of at least a quarter of an inch or more. This is where freezing rain could arise quicker than predicted should snow rapidly transform into rain, the NWS said.

The mix of snow and sleet in the metro area, near the I-20 corridor, may rise to 2 inches, the NWS said.

Central Georgia could be icy, as well. In this region, temperatures may sit in the 30s.

The NWS said some winter weather could linger Saturday morning.

The following school systems have announced closures:

• Paulding County School District
• Cobb County School District/Marietta City School System
• Douglas County School System
• Cherokee County School District
• DeKalb County School District
• Fulton County School District/Atlanta Public Schools
• Forsyth County County System
• Gwinnett County School System

Weather officials advised power lines could be downed and roads may be difficult to travel.

On Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service predicted the following detailed forecast for metro Atlanta:

This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 42. Northwest wind around 5 mph.

Tonight: A 10 percent chance of snow showers after 5 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Friday: Snow showers, freezing rain and sleet before 1 p.m., then rain, freezing rain and sleet, possibly mixed with snow between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., then rain showers, freezing rain and sleet after 2 p.m. High near 33. Light east wind becoming southeast 5-10 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Friday Night: Rain or freezing rain before 1 a.m., then a chance of freezing rain between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. Low around 30. Southeast wind 5-10 mph becoming light and variable. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Northwest wind 10-15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 21.

Sunday: Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 40.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 26.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 45.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 25.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 39.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 23.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 39.