NORTHEAST GEORGIA — Snow falling across North Georgia Saturday morning quickly created hazardous travel conditions as roads became slick and snow-covered, prompting closures and warnings from local officials.
In White County, emergency officials reported about two inches of snow on the east side of the county by midmorning. Bryce Barrett with White County said road conditions worsened rapidly, with multiple reports of vehicles sliding off roadways in a short span of time. No injuries had been reported.
As of late morning, Habersham County E-911 and EMA Director Melanie Bellinger said there were no confirmed reports of downed trees or power outages, but roads were becoming increasingly dangerous. She said several accidents had been reported since snowfall began. “We are receiving a lot of reports of accidents — people sliding off the roadway from Demorest to the south end of the county.”
Road closures
Police departments across the region announced road closures in areas impassable due to the heavy snow accumulation:
- Demorest Police closed Demorest-Mt. Airy Highway between Central Avenue and Piedmont Village.
- Baldwin Police Department closed Chatham Street from William Street to Airport Road for the duration of the storm.
- Cornelia Police Department reported Hoyt Street from Level Grove Road to Irvin Street was impassable.
Authorities urged drivers to avoid travel if possible.
“The roads are becoming slick and covered in snow,” Bellinger said. “Use caution if you absolutely have to be on the roads. If not, please stay off the roads if possible.”
Winter landscape
Residents across North Georgia woke to a winter landscape Saturday. Snow began falling steadily after sunrise, and by 8 a.m., roads and sidewalks were already slick. In Clayton, nearly an inch of snow had accumulated by 8:30 a.m. Two inches were recorded in Clarkesville by 10:45 a.m. An hour later, another inch and a half had fallen.
“Snow should continue off and on throughout the day, ending around suppertime at 5 or 6 p.m.,” said NowGeorgia.com weathercaster Tyler Penland.
Georgia Department of Transportation crews were out early, scraping snow from major roadways. The agency brined roads on Friday, which helped early travel conditions, but officials warned that increasing accumulations would make travel more hazardous as the day progressed.
Utility crews were also staged across the region in preparation for potential outages. As of midmorning, there were no significant power disruptions in Northeast Georgia, though more than 4,300 utility customers were without power in parts of metro Atlanta and north-central Georgia.
While Winter Storm Gianna is not expected to be as damaging as Winter Storm Fern, officials cautioned that bitter cold following the snowfall could cause melting snow to refreeze, creating dangerous driving conditions well into next week.
Drivers are urged to monitor local alerts, slow down, and avoid unnecessary travel as conditions continue to change.
SEE ALSO
