Cold and potentially dangerous weather is moving further south and east in what the Weather Channel is calling Winter Storm Fern. As it does so, the National Weather Service is issuing more and more winter storm watches for various Georgia counties.

Where is the winter storm watch Georgia?

All of north and central Georgia is now under a winter storm watch, including Athens and Atlanta, and now much of the Augusta area has been issued a watch including Richmond, Columbia, Aiken, McDuffie, Warren, Glascock, and Jefferson counties.

When is the winter storm watch in Georgia?

The exact times for the watch depend on where in Georgia you live. For the Augusta area, it’s running from Saturday morning through Monday afternoon.

How bad is the winter storm going to be?

The Augusta-area watch says mixed precipitation likely. Roads, especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. There’s a chance of rain and sleet Saturday afternoon, then freezing rain after 10 p.m. through Sunday. There’s little to no chance of snow at this time.

Snow is more possible in the areas of north and central areas of Georgia, along with even more ice, freezing rain, and sleet.

What is a winter storm watch?

A winter storm watch is issued when significant winter weather is possible, but not imminent, according to Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security. A watch is typically issued 12 to 48 hours before the possibility of winter weather.

Some very cold weather is moving further south in what the Weather Channel is calling Winter Storm Fern. While the exact severity of the storm is in flux, more of Georgia has been placed under a winter storm watch by the National Weather Service.

Where is the winter storm watch Georgia?

The first watch is largely in Georgia’s northern-most area covering cities like Blue Ridge, Cumming, Dahlonega, Ellijay, Fort Oglethorpe, Hiawassee, and Rome. The expanded watch now covers Athens, Crawford, Comer, Washington, Winder, Watkinsville, and Commerce.

Where is the winter storm watch in Georgia?

Both of the winter storm watches will be in effect from late Friday night through Monday morning.

When is it going to snow in Georgia?

In the areas under a winter storm watch, the NWS says heavy mixed precipitation is possible with total snow and sleet accumulations of an inch or less and ice accumulations greater than one quarter inch.

Here’s what the forecast looks like in other areas:

• Atlanta: Freezing rain is late Saturday and snow showers are late Sunday.
• Augusta: Rain and sleet possible Saturday, then freezing rain mixed possibly mixed with sleet 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. followed by more freezing rain through Sunday.
• Savannah: Little winter weather is predicted here. There’s a 30-40% chance of rain Saturday and 60-80% chance Sunday. Temperatures will drop down to about 41 degrees.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The city of Augusta is preparing for a potentially significant ice storm this weekend, with officials holding multiple planning calls and reviewing emergency protocols.

Mayor Garnett Johnson said the city has had multiple calls with the National Weather Service and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, with more planning calls scheduled.

Johnson said it will likely be another 12 to 16 hours before the city lays out a concrete plan or decides whether to activate its Emergency Operations Center, where multiple departments and agencies coordinate response efforts.

Emergency response levels

Augusta’s Emergency Operations Plan, last updated in December 2020, outlines how the county should respond to winter weather. The plan draws on lessons learned from the 2014 ice storm.

The plan establishes three levels of Emergency Operations Center activation. At the lowest level, the city monitors weather and checks in with agencies. The middle level brings more departments in and starts moving crews around. The highest level is an all-hands-on-deck response.

Preparation recommendations

Augusta’s Emergency Management Agency director advised residents to charge their devices and get battery packs. She also recommended closing off any drafts in homes and leaving faucets dripping at night.

Regional preparations

Aiken County will hold a news conference on Thursday at its Emergency Operations Center to discuss its plans. Officials in Burke County, McDuffie County and Columbia County have not yet released their preparation plans.

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