ATLANTA — Georgia emergency officials are activating full statewide operations ahead of a rare and potentially devastating ice storm expected to bring dangerous travel, widespread power outages, and prolonged extreme cold across North Georgia and much of metro Atlanta beginning Saturday afternoon.
Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency Director Josh Lamb said Friday that the State Operations Center will move to Level 1, full activation at 7 a.m. Saturday and operate 24 hours a day until winter weather conditions have passed.
“A major winter storm is expected to bring significant impacts to North Georgia and metro Atlanta this weekend,” Lamb said during a press conference.
Freezing rain is expected to be the primary precipitation type, with ice accumulations ranging from one-quarter inch to as much as one inch along and north of the Interstate 20 corridor. An ice storm warning has been issued for most of North Georgia, where officials say confidence is high for major and prolonged impacts. Several counties north and east of Macon and southwest of Atlanta remain under a winter storm watch.
Ice storm warning rare in Georgia
Georgia state meteorologist Will Langston said the warning reflects both the severity and rarity of the forecast.
“It’s been about 12 years since we’ve had an ice storm warning issued in Georgia,” Langston said. “This is not something we see every year, and it indicates the confidence in the forecast and the need to take it very seriously.”
Langston said ice accumulations of even a tenth of an inch can make roads hazardous, while a quarter to a half inch of ice makes travel nearly impossible and increases the risk of downed trees and power lines.
“When you get into a quarter to a half inch of ice, you cannot drive on roads,” he said. “That’s also when trees and power lines start to come down, and if you can’t drive on the roads, you can’t get power crews in to restore service.”
Ice accumulations approaching one inch would rival some of the most severe ice storms in Georgia’s history, Langston said, with outages potentially lasting days.
The most heavily impacted area includes metro Atlanta north of the Interstate 75, 575, and 400 corridors, eastward along Interstate 20 toward Augusta, and much of the northeastern quadrant of the state.
Cold temperatures a problem through next week
Temperatures are expected to fall below freezing Sunday evening and remain well below freezing through at least Tuesday. Langston warned that lingering moisture on roadways will refreeze overnight, creating significant hazards for the Monday morning commute.
“Any moisture left on roads by late Sunday night or early Monday morning is going to freeze,” Langston said. “I would expect pretty significant impacts across North Georgia for the Monday morning commute.”
He added that Tuesday morning could bring some of the coldest air North Georgia has seen in years, with single-digit low temperatures and wind chills near or below zero.
Lamb said GEMA’s primary role during the storm is coordinating response efforts across state agencies and partners.
“At our core, GEMA is a coordinating agency,” Lamb said. “We work very closely with our state partners, and it’s times like these that we take on that role, dividing tasks and using every tool available to provide the most effective response to Georgians in need.”
The state of emergency allows agencies to take on nontraditional roles to speed response and recovery, Lamb said.
GDOT on the way
Georgia Department of Transportation crews will begin pretreating interstate highways across North Georgia around midnight Friday night, with operations continuing around the clock throughout the storm. Georgia State Patrol troopers will be available to assist motorists, but officials are urging residents to stay off the roads as conditions deteriorate.
Lamb said resources such as water, blankets, and other emergency supplies have been pre-positioned in areas expected to be hardest hit. The agency is also coordinating with the Georgia Department of Public Health to ensure nursing homes know who to contact if power is lost.
Residents are encouraged to check with local officials for information about warming centers and comfort stations. Georgia State Parks will also open warming stations for public use, with locations available at georgiastateparks.org.
Lamb said farmers and other agricultural producers should rely on their own preparedness plans as the storm approaches.
“Our farmers are more knowledgeable about what they need to do to prepare for an ice storm than I am,” Lamb said. “That goes back to individual preparedness — being informed and taking the necessary steps ahead of time.”
Officials urged all residents to prepare emergency kits with food, water, medications, warm clothing, flashlights, batteries, and first-aid supplies for at least three days, and to make family communication plans. They also stressed safe heating practices, including never using ovens to heat homes and never operating generators indoors.
GEMA will continue monitoring the storm and coordinating with state and local partners. Updates and preparedness guidance will be posted at gema.georgia.gov and through official emergency management channels.
