Winter Storm Warning In Place For Tonight, Saturday

Northeast Georgia’s first blast of winter weather appears to be on the way.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Stephens County from 7 p.m. Friday to 1 p.m. Saturday.

According to the warning issued by the Weather Service, a wave of low pressure moving along a cold front tonight and Saturday morning is expected to bring accumulating snowfall across much of the region.

Forecasters said accumulations of up to two to four inches of snow are possible before all is said and done Saturday morning.

The Weather Service office in Greenville-Spartanburg said that possible impacts of the storm include snow covered roads, travel difficulties, and scattered power outages, as wind gusts up to 20 miles per hour are possible.

Local governments are preparing for the possibility of winter weather over the weekend.

Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers said that the county has been preparing for several days.

“We had planned about a week ago, seeing all this heading our way,” said Ayers. “It has been all hands on deck with getting the sand trucks and the spreader trucks ready and the snow plows mounted. We have already assigned the work zones to the drivers and their followers.”

Ayers said that the county did a practice run this week so that everyone knew where they were going if and when the snow starts.

Also, she said that Stephens County E-911 and Emergency Management Agency Director Danielle Rhodes is receiving updates on the weather from the state and passing those along.

Meanwhile, Toccoa City Manager Billy Morse said each department at the city is also prepared for a storm.

“We have seven snow plows in the public works department and they will all be geared up and ready to go,” said Ayers. “We have a sand truck that will hit the bridges and steep slopes and that sort of thing.”

According to Morse, crews will be sent home early Friday in order to rest before weather arrives.

Also, Morse said they are preparing a number of fire trucks and police vehicles with snow chains in case that is needed, along with getting utility department vehicles prepared in case they need to respond to something due to the weather.

At the state level, the Georgia Department of Transportation is also getting ready.

In the northeast district, the Georgia DOT has 135 snow plows, 8,000 tons of salt, 20,000 tons of gravel, and 247 employees on call ready to go this weekend.

The DOT reminds motorists to not be on the roads during winter weather if possible.

For those who are driving, the DOT reminds them to slow down, stay behind the snowplows, and be aware of black ice.