A second wave of freezing rain and sleet will bring up to half an inch of additional ice to parts of northeast Georgia through this evening.
What’s Happening: The National Weather Service in Atlanta issued the forecast at 3:55 p.m. Sunday. Freezing rain and sleet are falling in portions of northeast Georgia as precipitation moves over areas where temperatures remain below freezing. The additional ice will accumulate through tonight in the far northeast.
What’s Important: Ice accumulations of up to half an inch are forecast for the far northeast through this evening. The forecast map shows the highest accumulations of a quarter to half inch in a zone covering Gainesville, Athens, and surrounding areas. Lower accumulations of a tenth to a quarter inch are expected around Jasper, Atlanta, and Madison.
How This Affects Real People: Roads will become more hazardous or impassable as ice builds up on driving surfaces. Tree branches and power lines will accumulate more ice weight, causing additional power outages beyond existing failures. Downed power lines may be hidden by debris or fallen trees, and standing water or saturated ground near downed lines can be electrified.
The Path Forward: Ice storm warnings remain in effect for 32 counties across northern and northeastern Georgia until 10 a.m. Monday. The hardest-hit areas will continue experiencing impacts through Monday. Georgia Power has 10,000 personnel working to restore power, but new outages are occurring as the storm continues. The company has restored power to approximately 70,000 customers since Winter Storm Fern began, but severe weather Sunday caused additional failures.
