Weather Alert: Winter Storm Watch issued for the local area

Wintry mix of precipitation is possible – local area looks like more freezing rain and rain

Update from National Weather Service Jan. 9, 2025

Today

• Sunny, with a high near 45. Northwest wind around 5 mph.

Tonight

• Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Friday

• Freezing rain and sleet, possibly mixed with snow before 3pm, then freezing rain and sleet. High near 33. Light southeast wind becoming east 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Friday Night

• Rain, freezing rain, and sleet before 7pm, then rain or freezing rain between 7pm and 1am. Low around 30. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Saturday

• Mostly sunny, with a high near 38. West wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Saturday Night

• Mostly clear, with a low around 18.

Sunday

• Sunny, with a high near 41.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for portions of north central, northeast, northwest and west central Georgia and includes Walton, Gwinnett and the surrounding counties of Barrow, Clarke, Oconee, Rockdale and Newton.

The Winter Storm watch covers the period of 7 a.m. Friday morning through to 7 a.m.Saturday morning.

According to the NWS, a “Wintry Mix of Precipitation is Possible. Snow and Sleet Accumulations in the Mountains Could Average Between Three to Six Inches with Locally Higher Amounts Possible. Further South to The Interstate 20 Corridor, a Mixture of Snow, Sleet, Freezing Rain and Rain is Likely. Snow Accumulations of Two to Four Inches Is Possible with Icing Amounts around a Tenth of an Inch Possible.”

The NWS suggests that residents monitor the latest forecasts for updates on the weather as any slight deviations in temperatures or track of the weather system will result in changes for the precipitation type forecast.

Use caution on the roads and expect slippery road conditions, with travel likely to become difficult. These conditions could impact the commutes and linger into Saturday morning and bridges and overpasses could become icy even if temperatures remain slightly above freezing.

Now the big question is … will schools be open Friday? More on that to come as things develop. We will keep checking for you!

And now we wait….