Atlanta weather | "Significant" winter storm forecast

Airlines began canceling flights and Atlanta airport officials began planning Friday night for a "significant" winter storm that was barreling its way into the state, bringing with it ice and snow.

Already, at least two state highways in North Georgia remained closed, and the storm is expected to begin icing up the roads in metro Atlanta area Sunday night.

"This is a very serious situation and we truly are serious when we ask folks to stay home and stay off the roads,"  DOT spokeswoman Teri Pope told Pete Combs of AM 750 now 95.5 FM News Talk WSB.

The National Weather Service issued a watch for a "significant" winter storm  for much of the state for Sunday night through Monday night.

The National Weather Service said the snow will start Sunday evening and continue through early Monday morning.

"Initially, areas from Carrollton to metro Atlanta to Washington will  mix with or change over to sleet,  limiting accumulations to three to five inches of snow and sleet," the Weather Service said. "North of this area, accumulations will be higher, with five to seven inches expected with the higher elevations remaining all snow, resulting in locally higher accumulation amounts."

Kathleen Bergen with the Federal Aviation Administration said the FAA, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and the airlines had developed "playbooks" for responding to the storm.

She said the airport will de-ice some planes. Traffic into the airport will be limited by available gate space.

"The key is when the weather hits and where it hits," Bergen said. "The airlines are already anticipating flight cancellations and deciding locations where they will position their aircraft outside the weather system so they can get back in operation as soon as possible after the weather passes."

By 5:30 p.m. Friday, AirTran Airways had three pre-cancelled flight to and from New York LaGuardia Airport and Boston Logan International Airport for Saturday.

AirTran is allowing passengers traveling in and out of Atlanta starting at 6 p.m. Sunday to change reservations without paying a penalty.

Delta Air Lines on Friday began making preparations for flight cancellations, and also is allowing customers whose flights are affected by the storm to change their schedules without fees.

A Delta spokesperson said in a statement that beginning Sunday night, "flight delays are expected at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as a result of winter weather, and Delta will proactively reduce flight schedules to minimize delays."

Bergen  suggested travelers check with websites of individual airlines for flight status or check www.fly.faa.gov for real-time information on airport conditions.

To prepared for road traffic, the DOT is getting additional salt, sand and gravel from South Georgia. Four winter storms so far this season has already cost the agency 9,800 "man hours," 2,300 tons of salt and more than 4,300 tons of stone, Pope said.

"There is no fooling around," Pope said. "We are getting predictions  upwards of seven, eight, 10, 12 inches of snow and beyond."

She said people should prepare for staying indoors now and not wait until Sunday evening.

"Go out and get your staples, rent your videos, do whatever you need to do so that once the winter weather starts you can stay at home and stay off the roadways," she said. "We are expecting hazardous conditions."

Travelers can check on road conditions by dialing 511.

The interstates are the DOT's top priority,Pope said.

"They [the interstates] will get our attention first and keep our attention if needed through the winter weather event."

Multi-lane state highways are second on DOT's list of priorities.

"Our last priority ... is two-lane state routes," Pope said. "If you live on or work on a two-lane state route… you may not even see a Georgia DOT dump truck.

Pope said State Route 180 Spur in Towns County and Georgia 348 in White and Union Counties were closed Friday.

"The projections are from sleet to snow to ice," Pope said. "Ice is much more hazardous and harder to remove than snow. Nobody can drive on ice. This is a very serious situation and we're truly are serious when we ask folks to stay home and stay off the roads."

Weather forecasters say Saturday will be mostly sunny and cold. The low Saturday, is expected to be 30 degrees and the highs later in the day in the low 40s. The mercury will plunge into the upper teens Saturday night, then rebound only to the upper 30s on Sunday.

The effects of the predicted winter storm could reach deep into south Georgia, as far south as the Cordele and Americus areas, where accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are possible.