Americans brace for dangerous winter storm across multiple states
Millions of Americans are under winter storm alerts as snow and ice threaten travel and safety nationwide.
A possibly historic winter storm is right around the corner, with weather starting in Texas Friday and moving across the Southeast and into the East Coast over the weekend.
More than a dozen southern states are under either winter storm warnings, watches or ice storm watches and warnings, and many have declared States of Emergency.
Georgia is one of the states specifically impacted by ice, but where the impacts will be most severe will likely be determined by temperature.
Here’s a Friday morning update.
Where will the ice stop in Georgia?
North Georgia will be experiencing freezing rain and some possible snow as part of the winter storm. The northern half of the state is under a Winter Storm Watch, and a pocket of northeast Georgia is under a Winter Storm Warning, a more severe classification.
Where the worst of the ice is likely to stop is right around the Atlanta metro area. Sections of the state south of Atlanta will still see some freezing rain and small ice buildup, but if the temperature remains above freezing, the precipitation will stay rain.
In the northern part of the state, the temperature is dropping, turning the rain into sleet, wintery mix and freezing rain, and it will likely keep the ground frozen into next week.
Cold temperatures will keep ice frozen
Atlanta will have low temperatures in the 20s and teens Sunday going into Monday, and the temperature will remain low through the early part of the week, meaning if there are sheets of frozen ice on the streets or power lines or trees, they may not melt for days.
Officials said those in North Georgia should prepare to lose power, and it could be out for multiple days.
How to follow the winter storm in Georgia
You can keep track of where winter storm watches and warnings have been issued below.
A power outage tracker is also available.
You can also receive weather updates for your area by signing up through text.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected].
