Georgia Weather: Snow, Ice Now A 2-Day Ordeal

ATLANTA, GA — Nearly 24 hours after a winter storm first began dumping snow and freezing over roadways throughout metro Atlanta, the big freeze was shaping up to be a two-day ordeal Wednesday afternoon. Gov. Nathan Deal extended a shutdown of government offices in much of the state through Thursday and, by Wednesday afternoon, many school districts and local governments were following suit.

Atlanta Public Schools were among the first school systems to announce they'd stay closed on Thursday, with emergency officials warning that freezing temperatures never let many ice-covered roadways in metro Atlanta, and elsewhere in Georgia, thaw out.

On Tuesday, Deal had declared a state of emergency for 83 counties in north and central Georgia ahead of the storm.

"Our top priority is to ensure the safety of Georgians and to allow the Georgia Department of Transportation to continue doing its job," Deal said in a written statement. "Due to yesterday’s winter weather and continued freezing temperatures, ice continues accumulating on our roadways. GDOT is responsible for the maintenance of more than 17,900 miles of state roads and interstates. Currently, there are more than 12,800 miles remaining to be cleared and treated.

"In light of this, I urge people to stay home, stay safe and remain off our roadways. We will continue monitoring the weather and will provide updates as necessary."

Those who did venture out onto north Georgia roadways on Wednesday found them an icy mess. At about 11 a.m., the Atlanta Police Department said its officers had worked 93 traffic accidents since midnight, seven of which involved injuries.

One of those was an APD officer who was working an accident near Lenox Square Mall when a vehicle skidded out of control on the ice and slammed into a parked SUV, knocking it into her.

Most areas of north and west Georgia received up to an inch of snow Tuesday afternoon and overnight, according to the National Weather Service. By 3 p.m., the temperature in Atlanta was still a freezing 24 degrees, causing concerns about frozen roadways.

"While many roads initially remained wet, the bitterly cold temperatures and continued light snow have caused most roadways north of a LaGrange to McDonough to Commerce line to freeze," the weather service said in a special weather statement.

Not much more snow fell on Wednesday. But the freeze — wind chills were expected to dip as low as -5 degrees in some parts of north Georgia — didn't let the ice that had formed thaw out.

"Travel today and tonight is not advised," the weather service said. "If you must travel, please exercise extreme caution. Slow down and allow extra time to reach your destination."

Meanwhile, at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, hundreds of flights were canceled or delayedWednesday. By the afternoon, though, they were beginning to get closer to normal. On Twitter, Atlanta-based Delta Airlines said "a significant number of new cancellations is not expected for flights into or out of ATL or in other airports in the Southeast."

Still, passengers with tickets into or out of the world's busiest airport were being advised to check their flight status before arriving at the airport.

The Georgia Department of Transportation had been treating roadways since Monday in anticipation of the winter storm. Still, on Wednesday morning, the department was urging drivers to stay off of the roads.

"We're urging motorists to stay put," the DOT said on Twitter. "Even when the sun comes up it will not cause a significant amount of melting due to temps not rising above freezing today."

The area should finally get some relief on Thursday. While Wednesday night's low is forecast to plummet back down to about 17 degrees, it's expected to hit 42 degrees — 10 degrees above freezing — on Thursday.

That should be enough to melt away much of the lingering ice and snow. Skies then should remain sunny for the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service.

Also Watch: What Is Black Ice and How Can You Avoid It?

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