Snow covered metro Atlanta on Friday as a winter storm bore down across North Georgia, causing numerous problems on the roads.
It’s the most widespread snow the metro area has seen since January 2018. Up to 3½ inches of snow has fallen in some parts of the metro area. That is closer to what was initially predicted earlier this week, before an adjusted forecast called for less than an inch in Atlanta and no more than 2 inches in surrounding areas.
As the snowfall ends, Georgia officials urge drivers to stay off the roads until Sunday amid a treacherous combination of snow, rain and freezing temperatures. Across the metro area, up to a third of an inch of ice is projected, according to the National Weather Service.
A winter storm warning is in effect through 7 a.m. Saturday. It covers all of North Georgia from the Tennessee and North Carolina lines, south through metro Atlanta into Griffin and as far southwest as Heard County and southeast as Lincoln County.
Read on for live updates from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Waffle House welcomes the hungry hordes
Atlantans woke up Friday to a city covered and smothered — in snow. So naturally, many flocked to every breakfast lover’s most constant warm oasis: Waffle House.
Many metro area locations of the Norcross-based chain were serving a limited menu typically reserved for emergency situations, but it was still coming out hot and fast.
Some locations even had a short wait.
Hear more from the customers who flocked to the Waffle House here.
Snow day, fun day: Atlantans embrace school, business closures
For some Georgians, Friday’s winter storm meant having to navigate slick roads or change their travel plans.
For others, the primary concerns were how to best spend the snow day and where to find a sled.
As thick flakes fell to the ground Friday, hundreds flocked to Piedmont Park to take full advantage of a rare Atlanta snow day.
Check out photographs and read more here.
Brace for temps in the 20s overnight, lots of ice
Temperatures across North Georgia and metro Atlanta are struggling to get above freezing after snow blanketed the area Friday.
Across the region, temps are hovering around 33 degrees as of mid-afternoon. And with the exception of some higher elevations along the North Carolina border, the snow has been replaced by rain that is freezing upon contact with the cold pavement.
By 11 p.m. Friday, most rain will be gone except for a few locations on the west side of the metro area. Rain is expected to completely clear out by 2 a.m. Saturday.
As temps plunge into the 20s Friday night, though, road conditions will become even more treacherous. Up to a third of an inch of ice is expected. Some areas could even see just under a half-inch of ice, Channel 2 Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz warned. For context, that is about as much ice as the city got during 2014′s “Snowpocalypse.”
That much ice means tree branches and powerlines will be weighed down, potentially leading to long-term outages, Nitz said.
Adding to the potential for disaster are wind gusts up to 25 mph Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
The good news is temps will creep back to above freezing during the day Saturday, which will aid in melting ice. But it’ll freeze again later that night, so beware of black ice then.
Sunday will finally bring much-needed relief with highs around 42 degrees.
Winter storm continues to disrupt flights from Atlanta airport
Traci Louis was one of the lucky few to land at the Atlanta airport Friday, after a 6 a.m. flight from Las Vegas.
She said there was a line of people in the concourse at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport trying to rebook flights as she deboarded.
She planned to drive about 15 miles home: “We’re going to take it slow.”
Airlines have canceled hundreds of flights scheduled for Friday due to the winter storm expected to make travel hazardous due to snow and freezing rain. Read more on the travel delays here.
Snow, ice cancel ice hockey game. Seriously
Say it ain’t snow.
The snow and ice have canceled an event that seems perfect for the winter weather: Ice hockey.
The Athens Rock Lobsters announced Friday morning that the evening home game vs. the Baton Rouge Zydeco will be postponed.
“Due to newly issued travel advisories from local authorities, we have have worked closely with Akis Ford Arena and the Baton Rouge Zydeco to postpone the game due to weather conditions,” the team posted on social media.
The game will instead be played March 30, and all tickets will automatically transfer, the team said.
The Rock Lobsters were holding a Facebook contest for tickets to a Saturday night wrestling event in Athens, which is still on.
If canceling ice hockey due to ice sounds crazy, welcome to winter in Georgia.
In 2017, snow forced the former “Snow Mountain” attraction at Stone Mountain to temporarily close. The attraction and the fake snow are no longer part of the park’s winter season.
Marietta Water crews work tirelessly amid snow to repair broken water main
The wintry weather was no deterrent for the dedicated Marietta Water crew members who were on the scene of a water main break on Winn Street on Friday morning.
“Those crews are amazing and don’t call in sick,” Mayor Steve “Thunder” Tumlin said. “In fact, they love the challenge.”
Crews kept an eye on the forecasts to be sure they were ready for anything.
“Our unsung heroes have been anticipating all week for these weather conditions and are rising to the occasion immediately,” Tumlin said. “Kudos to these heroes for their extra long work days of valuable service. God bless those who brave unfavorable conditions for the citizens. If you see our feet-on-the-ground servants working in your neighborhood, shout out a ‘Thank You!’”
Monroe County sheriff reports a few wrecks
Travelers driving on I-75 South will find clearer roads once they get to the north end of the city of Forsyth at High Falls in northern Monroe County.
Monroe Sheriff Brad Freeman reported just three wrecks on Friday morning.
Some metro government services suspended due to weather
Cobb County suspended its CobbLinc bus, paratransit and microtransit services for Friday and Saturday.
DeKalb County closed its overnight-only warming center, at the North DeKalb Community Center in Chamblee, until Monday night.
Four other around-the-clock warming centers remained open. However, transportation to the one center that also provides hot meals and case management services — Frontline Response International on Gresham Road — is suspended until Monday night.
The DeKalb sanitation division also suspended all residential and commercial trash and recycling collection until Monday.
Power outages increase as ice accumulates
Power outages are ticking up as the precipitation shifts to freezing rain in parts of the state, including around metro Atlanta.
Georgia Power’s outage map showed slightly more than 3,000 of its 2.7 million customers statewide were without electricity just before noon Friday.
About 3,250 customers out of the 4.4 million served by electric membership cooperatives around the state were also without power, according to Georgia EMC, which represents the cooperatives.
Most of the outages were clustered around metro Atlanta and Athens.
Stop signs, red lights still not just suggestions
Anyone on the road Friday has likely noticed an extra reason to be cautious: Some Atlanta drivers are treating red lights and stop signs as optional. .
A reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, during a 30-minute drive down Briarcliff Road and Moreland Avenue just before 10 a.m., observed several drivers who ignored traffic signals to creep through intersections despite oncoming traffic.
Moments later, at a morning news conference with state emergency leaders, Georgia State Patrol’s commanding officer Lt. Col. Jason Johnson cautioned drivers about obeying traffic laws.
Those who need to drive Friday should obey traffic signals and signage as normal. Drivers caught running red lights or stop signs could still be cited, Johnson said. He shared a reminder that if a stoplight is out or blinking red, drivers should treat it as a four-way stop.
