WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST THURSDAY…

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST THURSDAY FOR AREAS GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM CARROLLTON…TO ATLANTA…TO LAWRENCEVILLE…TO COMMERCE.

A SHALLOW LAYER OF ARCTIC AIR AND FROZEN GROUND FROM THE RECENT ARCTIC OUTBREAK COMBINED WITH A WEAK UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE HAVE RESULTED IN A MIXTURE OF LIGHT SLEET…FREEZING RAIN…AND FREEZING DRIZZLE IN THE ADVISORY AREA THIS EVENING. THE UPPER DISTURBANCE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING NORTHEAST OF THE STATE…BUT RESIDUAL LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE AND A SHALLOW LAYER OF COLD AIR NEAR THE SURFACE REMAIN IN PLACE. THUS…OCCASIONAL FREEZING DRIZZLE CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA IN THE ADVISORY AREA. TEMPERATURES IN THE ADVISORY AREA WILL REMAIN BETWEEN 30 AND 32 THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT…WITH UPPER 20S IN THE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

ROADS IN THE ADVISORY AREA HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO BE VERY HAZARDOUS WITH A THIN SHEET OF ICE CAUSING HUNDREDS OF VEHICLE ACCIDENTS. IMPROVMENT OVERNIGHT WILL BE LITTLE TO NONE IN THE ADVISORY AREA. RESIDENTS IN NORTH GEORGIA WITHIN THE ADVISORY AREA ARE ADVISED TO AVOID TRAVEL OVERNIGHT.

WARM AIR WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD INTO THE AREA FROM THE SOUTHWEST EARLY THURSDAY WHICH WILL FINALLY ERODE THE SHALLOW LAYER OF ARCTIC AIR. RAPID IMPROVMENT IN ROAD CONDITIONS IS EXPECTED FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST AFTER 7 AM EST. ANY PRECIPITATION AFTER DAYBREAK SHOULD GENERALLY BE IN THE FORM OF LIGHT RAIN…ALTHOUGH LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE MAY LINGER IN THE GAINESVILLE AREA UNTIL 9 AM EST.