by Dave Williams | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp declared a statewide state of emergency Thursday ahead of a winter storm expected to strike the northern half of Georgia on Friday.
A mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow will move into western Georgia by sunrise Friday and spread across much of North and Middle Georgia throughout the morning. While the greatest impacts are expected along and north of Interstate 20, snow and/or ice accumulations are possible as far south as Columbus and Macon.
“The Georgia Department of Transportation, along with the Department of Public Safety, began treating roads early this morning,” Kemp said Thursday. “I’m asking all Georgians to help them do their jobs by limiting travel as much as possible in the coming days.”
The state of emergency suspends hours-of-service limitations for commercial vehicles involved in storm-response activities and temporarily increases weight, height, and length limits for commercial vehicles transporting essential supplies. The governor’s order also prohibits price gouging.
Snow and sleet accumulations of 2 to 4 inches are forecast for North Georgia, with up to 2 inches expected in Metro Atlanta and points to the east.
With winds increasing on Saturday, any remaining snow and ice could topple trees and powerlines. Temperatures dropping into the low 20s on Saturday night across North and Middle Georgia could refreeze any remaining moisture by Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon temperatures should reach into the 40s.
