Winter Storm Watch Says Snow, Sleet, Freezing Rain In North GA Weather Forecast

GEORGIA — The National Weather Service in Atlanta has issued a winter storm watch for this weekend in North Georgia.

From Saturday night to late Sunday evening, a varied amount of wintry weather is predicted to descend upon the top half of the Peach State, with the worst of it coming to the extreme northeast.

What that means is that from Canton past Athens and Gainesville going toward the northern and eastern borders of the state, expect significant accumulations of snow and/or ice with at least 2 inches or more of snow.

West of Canton and south of Athens the effects of snow and ice are possible, but not nearly as likely, with chances of freezing rain a probability in northern metro Atlanta areas like Cherokee, Cobb, Forsyth or Gwinnett counties or extreme northern Fulton County cities like Alpharetta, Milton, or Johns Creek, forecasters said.

“But the forecast is still evolving,” National Weather Service meteorologist Kyle Thiem said. “This is subject to change based on a variety of different factors.”

Those factors include both ground and airborne temperatures, and the amount of rain actually falling on the day of the warnings, Thiem said. The results could range from snow and sleet to freezing rain, to just rain, forecasters say.

Should snow become a reality, Ian Giammanco with the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety suggested that you not venture out behind the wheel needlessly.

“Hunker down,” said Giammanco, who lives in Charlotte where icy precipitation is also expected. “Stay home and stay off the roads. All of us in the south, we don’t deal with this every year so we’re not used to it.”

He also recommended making sure you knew how to find water valves in your home in the event that you need to shut off plumbing to prevent frozen pipes from bursting.

And check around your house ahead of the weather event for other preventative measures to take, like clearing gutters or cutting low-hanging branches.

“If there are branches that you can DIY, look at seeing if you can trim,” he said. “Those can snap off and fall onto your roof or nearby power lines, causing lots of damage.”

And in the event of power loss: “If you have a generator, it’s a good idea to give it a run to make sure it’s running.”

Here are other recommendations from the IBHS for things to do before and after winter weather.

Here's the latest Atlanta area forecast from the National Weather Service:

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 54. Northwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Saturday: A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 52. East wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.

Saturday Night: Showers. Low around 33. East wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Sunday: Rain and snow before noon, then rain and snow showers between noon and 4pm, then a chance of snow showers after 4pm. High near 35. East wind 15 to 20 mph becoming north 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26.

M.L. King Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 38.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 22.