2 inches of snow could hit Atlanta Friday

By Mike Morris

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It's gonna snow. Potentially a lot, by Atlanta standards.

The National Weather Service in Peachtree City announced Thursday afternoon a winter storm watch that will be in effect from Friday morning until Friday night in the metro Atlanta area.

A winter storm watch means significant snow or ice could be on the ground. The watch extends as far south as Vidalia.

Weather Service meteorologist Steve Nelson said the approaching storm system is still over Texas, but moving quickly.

Snow should begin falling about noon Friday and taper off around midnight, said Nelson. As much as 2 inches of the white stuff is expected in the metro area.

"We've been lucky. This year and last we got snow on the weekend, but this storm will be hitting us right in the middle of a weekday," said Nelson.

Saturday should be warm enough to melt accumulated snow, said Nelson.

The Weather Service said Thursday that a low-pressure system developing over the Gulf of Mexico should give metro Atlanta a 70 percent chance of snow on Friday.

"It is not a question of whether we will see winter weather -- basically snow -- across most, if not all of [north and central Georgia], but rather a question of how much," the Weather Service said.

Forecasters said accumulations of 1 to 2 inches of snow are possible across north and central Georgia by the time the snow ends Friday night, with the greatest accumulations from Atlanta to Athens southward to the Columbus and Macon areas.

"This system is still developing and the exact track is uncertain," the Weather Service said in a Thursday statement. "If the storm tracks just a little farther north than currently expected, the snow amounts may be heavier and spread farther north across the state."

More snow could fall further south. The Weather Service is forecasting up to 3 inches of snow south of a line from Hamilton to Butler to Cordele.

Weather Service forecasters in Mobile, Ala., are predicting 4 to 7 inches of snow across  south Alabama, with 2 to 4 inches possible in the Florida panhandle.

Mostly sunny skies and highs in the mid-40s are predicted for Saturday, with a 20 percent chance of rain forecast on Sunday, when highs will again be in the mid-40s.

A 30 percent chance of rain and snow is forecast for Sunday night, when lows will be in the low 30s.