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Atlanta Snow: Stay off Georgia’s Appalachian Trail, Forest Service says

In this 2014 photo, Georgia Department of Natural Resources wildlife technician Scott Bardenwerper works Unicoi Gap on the Appalachian Trail to do public assists aiding hikers who were caught out on the trail in a snowstorm north of Helen. Forest Service officials want to avoid this sort of thing here in 2017 as a winter storm approaches north Georgia.

Credit: Curtis Compton

Credit: Curtis Compton

In this 2014 photo, Georgia Department of Natural Resources wildlife technician Scott Bardenwerper works Unicoi Gap on the Appalachian Trail to do public assists aiding hikers who were caught out on the trail in a snowstorm north of Helen. Forest Service officials want to avoid this sort of thing here in 2017 as a winter storm approaches north Georgia.
By Mandi Albright
Jan 6, 2017

With snow predicted for the weekend, Forest Service officials are asking folks to stay off the Appalachian Trail and out of the high elevations of the Chattahoochee National Forest.

“Stay off the Appalachian Trail at this time for personal safety and to avoid further stress on local emergency responders who very likely will not be able to respond to trail emergencies because of unsafe and inaccessible conditions predicted with the impending winter storm,” Steven Bekkerus, public affairs officer for Region 8, wrote in a Jan. 6 press release.

Bekkerus warns that trail conditions can quickly change and that weather conditions in high elevation areas may differ significantly from conditions in nearby areas.

Some northern areas of metro Atlanta could see up to five inches of snow, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Karen Minton says.

Gov. Nathan Deal has issued a state of emergency order covering 79 Georgia counties, including all of metro Atlanta.

About the Author

Mandi Albright writes the AJC's Deja News feature and is an online presentation specialist with the AJC's Digital Presentation team.

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