Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday declared a state of emergency in Georgia in preparation for the winter storm expected to hit the state on Friday.

The declaration activates the state operations center and mobilizes resources among state agencies including the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Georgia Department of Public Safety. It also includes prohibitions on price gouging during the storm and temporarily increases height, weight and length limits for commercial vehicles transporting essential supplies.

“The Georgia Department of Transportation, along with the Department of Public Safety, began treating roads early this morning to prepare for the approaching winter storm, and I’m asking all Georgians to help them do their jobs by limiting travel as much as possible in the coming days,” Kemp said in a statement.

“Hazardous conditions, including ice and snow, can develop quickly and make travel very dangerous,” he added. “Plan ahead and stay tuned to updates from state and local officials to ensure you and your loved ones remain safe while our first responders continue to work tirelessly throughout this weather event.”

The state of emergency is in effect through Jan. 14.

The latest forecast from the National Weather Service in Atlanta predicts a mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow moving into Georgia by sunrise Friday and continuing to push east across the northern part of the state — including metro Atlanta — throughout the day.

North Georgia is forecast to see one to three inches of snow, with higher amounts likely in the North Georgia mountains. NWS predicts a mix of precipitation types in Atlanta and southwards, with snow in the morning transitioning to sleet and freezing rain.

The area is under a winter storm watch from 7 a.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday.

STORY: :: Georgia prepares for winter weather

with brine and road treatments

:: January 8, 2025

:: Forest Park, Georgia

:: Natalie Dale, Spokesperson, Georgia department of Transportation

“Brine is that mixture of water and salt. So the brine goes straight from these tanks into those tankers. And then you also have a system of pipes here where from the brine production unit outside — so where we’re churning up that granular salt and water, it feeds into the tanks.”

“We sit in a very precarious place here in Metro Atlanta. And a lot of what we get is ice which is very different. It is hard, if not impossible, to plow sheets of ice. It is easier to plow that big, fluffy snow that you do get in the North. So we have to develop a winter weather plan that is specific to southern winters which are very different than northern winters.”

GDOT’s MAU manages the state’s largest brine operation, producing and storing hundreds of thousands of gallons of brine to treat roads before and during winter storms.

This operation is crucial for preventing ice buildup on major highways, such as Interstates 75, 85, I-20, and 285, which are prioritized for treatment during storms.

GDOT spokesperson Natalie Dale says Georgia’s primary challenge during winter weather is ice, not snow.

“We sit in a very precarious place here in Metro Atlanta. And a lot of what we get is ice,” Dale said. “It is hard, if not impossible, to plow sheets of ice. It’s easier to plow the big, fluffy snow you get up north.”

Starting at midnight, GDOT crews and vehicles will begin brining roads as snow and ice are expected to impact the region on Friday.

Due to the forecast of a winter storm with snow and ice, the following schools will be closed on Friday, January 10. Now Habersham will update the list as we receive the official notification from the school administration.

Schools

Tallulah Falls School as well as all extracurricular activities including the basketball games against Georgia Walton which have been postponed.

Colleges

Athens Technical College closed Friday.

If you would like to have your school or daycare added to our list, please email [email protected]