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.
The Georgia Department of Transportation plans to apply more brine to interstates and state routes before temperatures drop this evening, spokesperson Scott Higley said.
More than 300 machines were deployed Friday afternoon to plow the roads across the state, with a focus on those that are heavily trafficked by emergency vehicles.
Starting around 6 p.m., crews will head back out on the plowed roadways and apply additional brine to protect against re-freezing.
In the first round of storm preparations, GDOT crews treated more than 20,000 lane miles with more than one million gallons of brine. The salty water mix keeps ice from forming. Most roads in the affected storm area were treated at least once before the snow began falling Friday morning, and interstates were treated twice.
As the sun sets, temperatures in north Georgia are expected to drop below freezing, according to the National Weather Service.
And that all of the winter slush on the roads will refreeze, making roads sheets of ice, forecasters advised. That means driving will be even more dangerous.
Channel 2 Action News Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz says the ice could be around into early Sunday.
"As the precipitation finally tapers off, the impacts will continue because overnight and into Saturday morning, as temperatures dip down below freezing, everything that’s wet and slushy is going to freeze to start the day Saturday," Nitz said.
Law enforcement agencies have advised staying off the roads.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety said since 12:01 a.m. through 5 p.m. Friday, troopers have responded to 1,030 total calls for service, 225 total crashes and 156 motorist assists statewide.
Local law enforcement agencies have also handled dozens of crashes.
Some travelers arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport prepared for any delays due to weather.
Juanse Sebastiano and a group of friends played an Argentinian card game, "Truco," on the floor of the domestic terminal Friday afternoon. They said they were killing time before their 6:45 p.m. flight.
Out of an abundance of caution, they got to the airport very early in hopes of heading off any issues. They're trying to get back home to Argentina, but if their flight is delayed they may all try to crash in Sebastiano's parents' hotel room.
"Maybe everyone will squeeze in like sardines," he said.
Forecasts are still calling for more freezing rain to hit parts of North Georgia on Friday evening, but power outages remained relatively low across the state by mid-afternoon.
Just after 3 p.m., Georgia Power's outage map showed only about 400 of its 2.7 million customers were without electricity. About 1,200 customers of electric membership cooperatives, which mainly serve rural parts of the state, were facing outages, according to Georgia EMC's outage tracker.
Few things get in the way of studying at Georgia Tech, but the novelty of Friday's snowfall and the cancellation of in-person classes pulled students outside for some clean, old-fashioned fun.
Students flocked to Freshman Hill, the notorious incline on Bobby Dodd Way that separates the East Campus dorms from the center of campus. Some brought skis and snowboards, and the school's mascot, Buzz, was spotted sledding toward Bobby Dodd Stadium.
According to Georgia Tech, the school is now home to a "thriving ski and snowboard club," explaining why some students were equipped with ski gear.
Georgia Tech's sports teams did not miss out on the fun. The Yellow Jackets baseball team posted its own photo of a snowman at Russ Chandler Stadium. And the football team poked fun at those who doubted the forecast by posting a photo of quarterback Haynes King, the engineer behind several highly unlikely wins.
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.
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.
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.
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.