GA Weather: Black Ice Likely, Drivers Told To Stay Home

GEORGIA — Snow is expected to taper off Sunday night but black ice could form to pose a danger on roads. The possibility prompted the Georgia Department of Transportation to ask drivers to stay off the roads.

The site PowerOutage.US, which track power outages across the country, reported over 29,000 Georgia utility customers without electricity at 6 p.m. Sunday. Counties in north and far northeast portions of the state had the bulk of the outages.

A wind advisory will continue until 7 p.m. Monday in metro Atlanta and north Georgia by the National Weather Service. Wind gusts of 30 miles per hour could bring down tree limbs and power lines coated with ice and snow.

Snow showers will taper off in most areas Sunday evening with only the mountain counties of north and northeast Georgia experiencing any lingering snow showers into the late evening.

Northwest winds will pick up Sunday evening and temperatures are expected to fall into the upper 20s across a large portion of north and west Georgia.

Any lingering moisture can refreeze as black ice Sunday night into Monday morning for parts of the area.

Any wet or slushy roads from snow and melted snow may refreeze overnight as temperatures drop well below freezing, resulting in some hazardous driving conditions into early Monday morning, particularly on elevated surfaces such as bridges and overpasses.

Black ice is a thin, often invisible sheet of ice that forms on the roadway, especially on bridges, overpasses and low-lying areas. It can form at any time when temperatures drop below freezing and there is any form of moisture on the road.

If a driver comes upon black ice, do not slam on the brakes or overcorrect steering. This can cause you to lose control of your vehicle. However, if travel is necessary, remember to drive slowly; buckle up; and drive alert. Pay attention to changing road conditions.

Related:

• How To Prepare For A Power Outage
• Cold Weather Tips: Keep Your Car Safe
• Winter Weather Safety Tips Before Shoveling Snow

The safest way to avoid potentially unsafe conditions on Georgia roads is to stay home and avoid all unnecessary travel.

Temperatures are forecast to rise above freezing by late morning Monday, with the exception of the northeast mountain counties, where temperatures are expected to remain below freezing all day Monday. However, mostly cloudy skies may prevent sunshine from melting ice on roadways Monday morning across north Georgia.

A hazardous weather outlook is in place for much of northern and central Georgia, including: Barrow, Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Gwinnett, Macon, Fulton, and Paulding counties.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for generally along and north of the I-20 corridor.

Here's the forecast from the National Weather Service:

Sunday Night: A 50 percent chance of snow, mainly before 9pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 28. West wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Total nighttime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

M.L.King Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 40. West wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 49. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.