Atlanta weather | A glimpse at the winter storm

ATLANTA

Just before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, the city of Atlanta announced that all government offices, including parks and recreation facilities and municipal court, would be closed Wednesday.

All essential and emergency personnel should report to work at their scheduled time on Wednesday, according to a news release.

COBB COUNTY

Cobb County commissioners proceeded with a public hearing Tuesday morning on new taxes and fees to help pay for its $300 million commitment toward a new Atlanta Braves stadium, despite Gov. Nathan Deal declaring a state of emergency for metro Atlanta and other areas of the state.

Only a few residents spoke at the hearing. Roads were wet, but there was no accumulation of ice or sleet on the interstate highways or surface roads around Marietta and east Cobb.

Cobb transportation officials sent out an email after the meeting stating that a winter storm warning was in effect until 1 p.m. Thursday. The advisory said it will be a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain.

DEKALB COUNTY

DeKalb County schools and government offices were shut down Tuesday, while the county linked up its road crews and public safety workers to make sure roads in front of police and fire stations and hospitals stayed clear.

Freezing rain was reported through the morning in north DeKalb, especially in the Dunwoody area. Rain pelted the rest of the county all morning, as temperatures hovered just above freezing. With umbrellas and heavy coats, shoppers streamed in and out of a Kroger just outside Decatur Tuesday morning.

Natalie Sacha and son Nicolas, 7, stopped at a Redbox to pick up movies during their quick trip for milk.

“I work from home, so I need them to be busy,” Sacha said as her son picked ‘Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2’ and ‘Despicable Me 2’ from the kiosk. “The weather, I came here from Minnesota, so I’m not worried.”

Still, interim CEO Lee May took to radio and Twitter Tuesday, to encourage people to be at least a little concerned.

The county is ready to pre-treat roads once the rain dwindles in the afternoon, an effort designed to keep salt on the roadways as temperatures in the evening.

To do that, May said officials are encouraging people to stay home if at all possible.

“If you don’t have to leave the house, please don’t. Not just for your safety but for the safety of the entire county,” May said. “Stay put.”

DeKalb County announced late Tuesday morning that all schools and government offices would remain closed Wednesday, when the worst of the storm is expected to hit.

FULTON COUNTY

Fulton County has been keeping an eye on road conditions and expects to begin treating roads later Tuesday evening, spokesman Jessica Corbitt said. The county also has inspected all of its facilities with generators and ensured they are fueled and ready.

GWINNETT COUNTY

With temperatures in the mid-30s and little to no snow or ice accumulation on roads, traffic on most major Gwinnett County roads was flowing smoothly mid-afternoon. Gwinnett County has already activated its Emergency Operations Center to monitor weather conditions and expects to activate it fully Tuesday evening.

HENRY COUNTY

Henry County officials said they didn’t see the massive overrun of stranded motorists during the last winter storm that hit metro Atlanta.

And Tuesday, the county was not experiencing any hiccups in the run-up to Winter Storm Pax, county Emergency Management Agency Director Don Ash said.

“We’re going to stick to what worked for us really well last time,” Ash said. “That is, opening our (Emergency Operations Center) ahead of the event and having all of our stakeholders there.”

Like most of the region, Henry is preparing for freezing rains and snow that will ice over roads and weigh down power lines and trees.

Residents and businesses in Henry needing help from downed power lines or trees should call the Henry Emergency Communication Center at 770-957-9121.

The Henry emergency operations center will open at midnight, Ash said, and will be staffed with emergency responders, utility companies operating in the county and dispatchers. A hot line to the EOC will be available later Tuesday evening.

WHITE COUNTY

Gary Allen is in a race against the clock, not to mention the thermometer.

The 47-year-old truck driver left out of a Helen motel Tuesday morning with a haul of fresh produce and three stops to make. He was accompanied by sand dollar-size snowflakes which, so far, aren’t sticking to asphalt, as the morning temperature here hovered just above freezing.

“As long as I can beat the ice, I’ll be okay,” said Allen, who never had to worry about such things in his native Jamaica.

But he was smack dab in the middle of the storm that hit metro Atlanta two weeks ago. Allen, who lives in Austell, was among those stranded on Atlanta’s interstates, spending one night and much of the following morning in his 18-wheeler on I-20 east of Six Flags.

He’ll steer clear of the interstates today, but a treacherous drive to Dawsonville, which normally takes about an hour, awaits.

The good news: It appears he’ll have little company on the curvy mountain roads. As the sun rose over the tourist-friendly Alpine village, the only vehicles spotted were snow plows and sand trucks.

“Hopefully they’re prepared this time,” Allen said. “But that’s what they said the last time.”

Forecasters say Helen, located about 88 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, could receive as much as 7 inches of snow through Wednesday, although the snow had already subsided by 7:30 a.m. But more is expected.