State government offices will remain closed across much of north Georgia on Thursday for non-essential personnel as plunging temperatures and icy roads caused treacherous conditions.

Gov. Nathan Deal said he was acting on a recommendation from his emergency deputies in closing state government offices across 83 counties for a second day in a row. He said 12,800 miles of the nearly 18,000 miles of state roads and interstates still need to be cleared and treated for ice as of early Wednesday.

“In light of this, I urge people to stay home, stay safe and remain off our roadways,” he said. “We will continue monitoring the weather and will provide updates as necessary.”

The icy weather has led to hundreds of crashes across metro Atlanta, and forced most school systems and government offices in north Georgia to shut down. The 83 counties under emergency declaration can be found here.

The Georgia House, meanwhile, said it would be off to a delayed 2 p.m. start on Thursday.

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