Georgia to be impacted by winter weather system

Published 11:42 am Saturday, February 14, 2015

Nigel Poole, director of Sumter County Emergency Management Agency (EMS), shared this information on a winter weather event coming south Sunday night. This is a fluid situation and probably will change.

The information is from the Federal NOAA.

Overview: A cold front will push across the area Saturday Night and early Sunday Morning. Behind the front, a cold arctic air mass will settle over the region Sunday and Monday. A series of disturbances will spread gulf moisture over the cold air and bring a chance of wintry precipitation to parts of mainly North Georgia late Sunday Night through Monday. Then a gulf surface low pressure system develops and spreads moisture into north Georgia early Tuesday morning, resulting in another shot of mainly snow across parts of north Georgia Tuesday morning. Then the surface low tracks across South Georgia on Tuesday, and brings another round of wintry precipitation to parts of North and Central Georgia Tuesday Night and Wednesday on the backside of this system as it departs up the east coast.

WHAT, WHEN & WHERE:

Sunday:

A Wind Chill Advisory will likely be needed across at least north Georgia on Sunday as strong north winds usher in the cold arctic air mass behind a cold front.

Sunday Night and Monday:

Best guess at this time is light snow could spread into north Georgia late Sunday Night and Monday morning, generally along and north of a Carrollton to Lawrenceville to Homer line. Light snow accumulation between one half and one inch is possible on Monday. This would include around one half inch in the Atlanta Metro area with up to an inch possible in the northern suburbs. Mainly rain is expected south of this line, but a mix of rain, sleet and snow is possible elsewhere at the initial onset early Monday morning. Still much uncertainty on location and timing, so stay tuned.

Impacts: Some slick spots on roads will be possible Monday, especially in the higher elevations of north Georgia where surface temperatures could remain below freezing through Monday afternoon. Lower elevations should warm above freezing by early Monday afternoon.

Monday Night and Tuesday:

Another round of light snow is possible across parts of north Georgia Monday night and Tuesday morning as gulf moisture spreads northward ahead of a gulf surface low. A rain and snow mix should be mainly along and north of a Carrollton to Lawrenceville to Homer line with a period of mainly snow possible early Tuesday morning. This could result in some light accumulations of around one half to slightly over an inch for areas generally along and north of Buchannan to Homer line Tuesday morning, with higher amounts up to around two inches possible in the higher elevations.

Impacts: Slick spots on roadways, especially bridges and overpasses, are possible across far north Georgia where morning lows dip below freezing. Temperatures warm above freezing area wide between 9 and 10 am Tuesday morning, greatly lessoning the slick road threat.

Tuesday Night and Wednesday:

Behind the departing surface low pressure system, wrap around moisture and cold air advection will bring a chance of rain changing over to light snow across parts of north and central Georgia Tuesday Night and early Wednesday morning. Although some light snow could occur as far south as a Carrollton to Athens line late Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, the greater chances for any light accumulations will occur across far north Georgia. There is still a great deal of uncertainty this far out. Available moisture is questionable and seems very limited at this time.

Impacts: Slick spots on roadways, especially bridges and overpasses are possible across north and parts of central Georgia where morning lows dip below freezing.