Sleet, Snow Forecast For GA; Winter Storm Watch Issued

ATLANTA, GA — The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch as an East Coast Arctic blast threatens Georgia with snow, sleet and freezing rain on Friday.

Shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday, the NWS issued the watch in preparation for heavy winter precipitation. It is set to run from 7 a.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday.

Weather officials said snow and sleet accumulations could reach 3-6 inches in northern Georgia and 1-3 inches in metro Atlanta.

Meanwhile, around a tenth to two-tenths of an inch of ice could accumulate in metro Atlanta, the NWS said.

The winter storm watch was issued for the following counties: Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray, Fannin, Gilmer, Union, Towns, Chattooga, Gordon, Pickens, Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Floyd, Bartow, Cherokee, Forsyth, Hall, Banks, Jackson, Madison, Polk, Paulding, Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Barrow, Clarke, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Haralson, Carroll, Douglas, DeKalb, Rockdale, Walton, Newton, Heard, Coweta, Fayette, Clayton and Henry.

"Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Friday morning and evening commutes," the NWS said in the watch alert.

A cold weather advisory was issued for central and west central Georgia, including the Macon area, starting at 11 p.m. Wednesday and ending at 9 a.m. Thursday.

The Savannah area will be under a cold weather advisory starting at midnight and ending at 9 a.m. Thursday. Wind chills of 17 degrees are expected in southeast Georgia and southeast South Carolina, the NWS said.

"Very cold temperatures can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure," the NWS said in the advisory.

Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday said some state offices will close amid the threatening conditions.

He said the offices will close Friday in impacted areas north of and including Columbus, Macon and Augusta. Employees will work remotely.

The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency urged residents to quickly prepare for the risks of ice, snow, gusty winds, downed trees and power lines.

GEMA officials advised residents to "use flashlights instead of candles to reduce fire risk, stock up on extra batteries and only use safe, properly ventilated heating sources."

The winter system could strengthen at the coast and slowly trek northeast, increasing the snowfall along the Interstate 95 corridor, AccuWeather reported.

"Not only would such a storm bring a substantial amount of snow to cities such as Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and even Boston from Saturday to Saturday night, but it would also increase winds along the coast on par with a major nor'easter," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. "However, this scenario is much less likely--say only about a 15% chance of occurrence--but still poses enough of a threat to be monitored closely."

Late Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service predicted the following detailed forecast for metro Atlanta:

This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 40. Northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 22. Northwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 42. Northwest wind 5-10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Friday: Snow showers and sleet, possibly mixed with freezing rain before 4 p.m., then snow, freezing rain and sleet, possibly mixed with rain. High near 34. Light and variable wind becoming east 5-10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent.

Friday Night: Freezing rain and sleet, possibly mixed with rain showers before 7 p.m., then freezing rain and sleet between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m., then a slight chance of freezing rain after 1 a.m. Low around 30. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 37.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 20.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 41.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 27.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 44.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 24.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 38.

Patch has reached out to local school systems for information regarding possible closures.