Issued by The National Weather Service
Atlanta, GA
4:39 am EST, Fri., Jan. 7, 2011

… CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA TODAY AND TONIGHT… … CHANCE OF ACCUMULATING SNOW AGAIN SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY…

FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT… A FAST MOVING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AND SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS AND BRING A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW TO PARTS OF NORTH GEORGIA. THIS SYSTEM IS RELATIVELY DRY AND SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT. AREAS GENERALLY NORTH OF A SUMMERVILLE TO DAWSONVILLE TO CLEVELAND LINE MAY SEE A LIGHT DUSTING OF SNOW THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN NORTH GEORGIA HAVE THE GREATER CHANCE FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW… AND COULD RECEIVE FROM 1 TO 2 INCHES… ESPECIALLY OVER PARTS OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA. ALTHOUGH SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT… THIS COULD CERTAINLY CREATE NUMEROUS SLICK SPOTS ON ROADS… BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES… RESULTING IN DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS THROUGH THE FRIDAY MORNING COMMUTE. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION AND SLOW DOWN.

FOR SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY… A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE NORTHERN GULF ON SUNDAY… THEN TRACK ACROSS NORTH FLORIDA AND OFF THE GEORGIA COAST THROUGH LATE MONDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL BEGIN SPREADING MOISTURE INTO THE STATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST EARLY TUESDAY. AT THIS TIME… IT APPEARS TEMPERATURE PROFILES WOULD SUPPORT A MIX OF PRECIPITATION. ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA IT WOULD BE PREDOMINATELY SNOW SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY WITH SLEET POSSIBLY MIXED INTO THE SNOW ON MONDAY. BY MONDAY NIGHT… A TRANSITION TO A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW MAY OCCUR. WIDESPREAD ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE FOR AREAS GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A LA GRANGE TO MONTICELLO TO WASHINGTON LINE… WITH GREATER AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NORTH GEORGIA WITH ISOLATED 5 INCHES POSSIBLE. ANYONE PLANNING TRAVEL ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA DURING THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK SHOULD STAY ABREAST TO THE LATEST FORECAST ON THIS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS DEVELOPING WINTER WEATHER SYSTEM.