The Georgia Department of Public Health’s Northwest Health District office in Rome and health departments across 11 Northwest Georgia counties will be closed Monday, January 26, due to anticipated hazardous weather.
Counties included in the closure are Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Paulding, Polk, and Walker. Residents needing services are encouraged to plan ahead and monitor official updates for reopening information once conditions improve.
A high-impact winter storm is expected to bring significant icing to Chattooga County and parts of Northwest Georgia this weekend, prompting the National Weather Service to issue an Ice Storm Warning. The warning is in effect from 7:00 AM Saturday until 10:00 AM Monday.
Georgia is on high alert as an impending winter storm approaches, and while much of North Georgia will see frozen precipitation over the next 48 hours, Northwest Georgia’s risk remains lower than areas to the east. Expect cloudy skies and periods of light rain today, a brief wintry mix potential Saturday morning before changing back to rain, the highest concern for freezing rain Saturday night into Sunday morning (especially on Lookout Mountain), and then the bigger story: bitterly cold Arctic air arriving to start next week.
Voters in Chattooga County and neighboring counties in Northwest Georgia are expected to see an additional special election tied to the shakeup in the 14th Congressional District. Gov. Brian Kemp has issued a call to fill Georgia Senate District 53, the seat vacated by Colton Moore after he qualified to run for the open U.S. House seat.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College has selected three students as its finalists for the 2026 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL), according to GOAL program coordinator Trish Wiggins. The finalists are Brittney Elrod of Ringgold (Business Management, Catoosa County Campus, nominated by Dr. Dwight Watt), Latasha Fluker of Rome (Marketing Management, Floyd County Campus, nominated by Mark Upton), and Noelia Sargento of Rossville (Business Management, Walker County Campus, nominated by Tracy Gentry).
Anyone interested in starting beekeeping can “start your beekeeping journey” at a Beekeeping Short Course hosted by the Northwest Georgia Beekeepers Association on Saturday, Jan. 31, from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The class will be held at the Walker County Ag Center, and organizers say seats are limited with registration available online.
The cost is $65, and the course is designed to cover the basics needed to get started with beekeeping. Organizers say the fee includes the book First Lessons in Beekeeping, a binder with handouts, lunch, a one-year membership to NWGBA for new members, and a chance to win door prizes.
The event is sponsored by the Northwest Georgia Beekeepers Association, Walker County Extension, Forester Farms & Apiary, and the Georgia Honey Bee License Plate Grant. For more information, visit the association’s event list online or email info@nwgabeekeepers.com
Forecasters say a high-impact winter storm is increasingly likely across Georgia this weekend, with freezing rain and ice expected to be the primary hazards and the potential for widespread power outages and dangerous travel conditions. The Winter Storm Watch has been expanded to include most of North Georgia and a small portion of Central Georgia, with the watch starting 1:00 AM Saturday for the far northern tier and beginning 1:00 PM Saturday for areas generally near and south of I-20. Both time periods extend through 10:00 AM Monday.
A high-impact winter storm is expected to move into northern Georgia this weekend, and forecasters say the biggest concerns for Northwest Georgia are ice, dangerous travel, and possible power outages. A Winter Weather Watch begins at 1:00 a.m. Saturday and continues into Monday morning as multiple storm systems interact with a surge of Arctic air pushing south.
A Winter Storm Watch is now in effect for a large portion of North and Northwest Georgia, including Chattooga and Walker County areas, from late Friday night through Monday morning. The National Weather Service says heavy mixed precipitation is possible during that time, with total snow and sleet accumulations up to four inches and ice accumulations greater than one quarter of an inch also possible.
