Dropping temperatures cause only isolated icy patches on metro roads
A few patches of black ice were reported as temperatures hovered near the freezing mark before daybreak Friday, but metro Atlanta escaped widespread travel problems from the the season’s first brush with wintry precipitation.
Most of the isolated icy spots were on interstate bridges and overpasses, including along I-75 in Cobb and Bartow counties and on I-20 just west of downtown.
In Marietta, authorities were blocking all but two southbound lanes of I-75 at the Roswell Road overpass due to icing at 5:30 a.m. The AM750 and 95.5FM Traffic Center reported a couple of wrecks in that area were apparently caused by black ice.
It was not yet known whether icing contributed to a wreck on I-575 in which the state Department of Transportation reported that a vehicle flipped over the median wall near Mile Marker 17 in Cherokee County.
Temperatures at 5 a.m. included 29 in Kennesaw, 30 in Dunwoody and Alpharetta, 33 in Chamblee and 34 at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Thursday afternoon, a few snow flurries were reported across parts of metro Atlanta as the rain ended and temperatures dropped.
Some areas west and northwest of Atlanta, including in Paulding and Haralson counties received a light accumulation of snow on grassy areas.
No school closings were reported in metro Atlanta Friday, although officials in Gordon County and the city of Calhoun canceled classes for the day, and Forysth County schools delayed opening until 10 a.m.
Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Karen Minton’s weekend forecast is for sunny skies through Sunday, with highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s.
