Atlanta weather | Patchy sleet likely overnight

By David Ibata and Mike Morris

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A sleety night is possible in parts of the metro Atlanta area overnight as a wintry mix moves into  north Georgia, chief meteorologist Glenn Burns of Channel 2 Action News predicted.

Enlarge photo

John Spink, jspink@ajc.com Pashay Brown with Sysco delivers food supplies to the Corner Bakery in the 200 block of Peachtree Street as temperatures in the metro area hovered in the 20s.

Enlarge photo

Channel 2 Action News, Channel 2 Action News Georgia DOT prepares for icy weather with salt trucks.

More Atlanta area news »

• Beryl may bring rain, wind here
• Suicide call leads to pot bust
• 
‘Pioneers’ helped break
 Marines’ color barrier
• Not all cheating the same at APS

"We will have a chance of a wintry mix" across the mountain counties of northeast Georgia late Monday and early Tuesday, Burns said. "The air is warmer the higher up you go with a temperature inversion, so mountain valleys would be more susceptible to see the wintry mix.

"Here in the metro area, I would expect to see some patchy sleet with the onset of the rain, then quickly changing to all rain by the morning commute," he said. There is a 100 percent chance of precipitation in metro Atlanta on Tuesday with a high of 46 degrees, he said.

The National Weather Service on Monday night issued a winter weather advisory for north Georgia, calling for light accumulations of snow and sleet and up to an inch of snow between midnight Monday and 10 a.m. Tuesday across extreme northwest Georgia and the northeast Georgia mountains.

"A winter weather advisory means that periods of snow, sleet or freezing rain will cause travel difficulties," the Weather Service said. "Be prepared for slippery roads and limited visibilities."

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation urged motorists to use caution overnight.

Teri Pope said DOT crews in 10 northeast Georgia counties -- Banks, Dawson, Habersham, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union and White -- will report to work at midnight, while crews in other North Georgia counties will be on call to report in if conditions warrant.

She said road crews would be "working to keep at least one passable lane in each direction open on state routes and two passable lanes in each direction on interstates."

Pope said that Ga. 180 Spur in Towns County was closed Saturday due to snow, and will remain closed until temperatures warm up later this week.

A portion of Ga. 348, also known as the Richard Russell Scenic Parkway, in Union and White counties "will close [Monday] afternoon before precipitation begins to prevent motorists from being caught in hazardous conditions," Pope said late Monday afternoon.

She said that more than 120 electronic billboards will be used if needed to advise motorists of hazardous travel conditions.

"This is the first regional winter weather event since the State Transportation Board approved a memorandum of understanding with the Outdoor Advertising Association of Georgia allowing for travel advisories to be posted on electronic billboards around the metro Atlanta region," Pope said.

--Dispatch editor Angel K. Brooks contributed to this report.