The thunderstorms that have moved through western Georgia this morning were spreading into metro Atlanta, and Cobb County is included in a hazardous weather outlook that will be in effect for most of today.
At 10:30 a.m. the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City issued the outlook, which includes most of metro Atlanta and a good portion of north and central Georgia.
The outlook includes information about potential severe weather, including thunderstorms and the possibility of tornadoes.
Tornado watches and warnings have been in effect in various areas of Georgia this morning. High winds and storms have been reported in Bremen, as that weather system headed east toward metro Atlanta.
The NWS said that in the outlook area, an isolated severe storm is possible, as are high winds and isolated tornadoes.
Between an inch and two inches of rain also is expected to fall, causing the possibility of flooding in some areas.
Thursday and Friday will see sunshine, but a rainy weekend is in the forecast.
This week is Weather Preparedness Month in Georgia. A scheduled statewide tornado drill scheduled for close to noon today has been postponed to Friday because of the current weather conditions.
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Sunshine helped melt much of the snow, including at East Cobb Park, but icy roads are expected to freeze over again Thursday night. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
The word’s just come down that for the third day in a row, Cobb schools will be closed on Friday.
The Cobb County School District cited “hazardous road and travel conditions throughout the county,” and that includes a number of areas of East Cobb.
The major roads are clear for the most part, but along roads without the direct sunshine that helped the melting process today, there’s still a lot of ice and slush. That’s expected to freeze over again tonight as temperatures drop down into the mid-to-low 20s.
When we went out earlier this afternoon, we noticed this too, especially along Robinson Road near Fullers Park, and along Robinson on either side of Old Canton Road.
That’s one of a couple dozen or so icy patches in East Cobb that remain treacherous. Earlier today, some social media postings included a lot of ice on Hembree Road near Pope High School, and around Walton High School.
Sandy Plains Road at Wigley Road and north on Wigley Road;
Several areas along Mabry Road;
Ebenezer Road;
Several spots along Bells Ferry Road;
Barnes Mill Road;
Roswell Road near Barnes Mill;
Post Oak Tritt near Johnson Ferry Road;
Shallowford Road east of Johnson Ferry;
Johnson Ferry Road at Oak Drive;
Sewell Mill Road near Old Canton Road;
Johnson Ferry at the Chattahoochee River;
Several areas along Powers Ferry Road.
Cobb County government will have normal working hours on Friday.
Mt. Bethel Christian Academy will be holding classes as normally scheduled on Friday.
The Walker School also announced it would be trying to make a go of classes on Friday, tweeting out this message not long after the Cobb announcement:
Due to lingering conditions from this week’s winter weather, we will have a delayed school start time of 10:30 a.m. on Friday, January 19. Carpool will begin in all divisions at 10 a.m. Middle & Upper School students will report to their E block class at 10:35 a.m.
On Friday, warmer weather is expected to stick around longer, with highs into the low 50s and lows in the high 20s, with the chance of ice returning again Friday night.
It’s going to get gradually warmer over the weekend, into the low 60s by Sunday.
It’s also expected to be mostly sunny, with partly cloudy skies on Sunday and rain on Monday.
Send us your weather news and photos, if you have them, to: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll post them here.
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As temperatures climbed toward freezing this morning, Cobb County government offices and libraries opened, and road clean-up continued, aided by some very welcome sunshine.
Late last night, Cobb spokesman Ross Cavitt said that around 200 accident calls were reported to county 911 dispatchers within the first 24 hours of the storm, including 15 stranded motorists, 10 hit-and-run incidents and two needing fire extrication from their vehicles.
No serious injuries have been reported, but the roads are still icy and slushy in some places.
Earlier this morning Cobb DOT said there were 50 reports of black ice throughout the county overnight:
Most major roads in good shape but side streets, especially those in shade, remain problematic. Be safe if you are venturing out. Fortunately traffic is light.
If you’re a CobbLinc rider, local and paratransit service began at noon, but XPress bus services are cancelled today.
Temperatures could reach the high 30s or even 40 by mid afternoon, with lows tonight and overnight falling back into the mid-to-low 20s.
Then it’s getting warmer starting Friday, and for most of next week. Friday’s highs could get into the low 50s and by Sunday we could get into the high 60s.
We a few updates about openings, closings, cancellations and postponements from East Cobb businesses, faith communities and other organizations beyond what was posted on the link just above, but we’ll keep adding to this list below during the afternoon.
We’ll also update with news about whether Cobb schools will have classes Friday. They’re closed again today, and today’s school board meetings have been postponed to next Thursday.
We’ll also be catching up with some other news that we’ve been wanting to post here the last couple days—and there’s a lot going on to share in East Cobb—starting later today and tomorrow as well.
Thursday openings
Transfiguration Catholic Church
XenGo Fusion Kitchen & Sushi
The Avenue East Cobb
Ted’s Montana Grill
Johnny’s New York Pizza
Book Exchange
St. Andrew UMC, at 1 p.m.
Once and Again Books
The Art Place-Mountain View, at 1 p.m.
East Cobb and NE Cobb YMCA open until 7 p.m.
Thursday closings/cancellations
Tonight’s Walton PTSA open house and general meeting
All practices/activities for East Marietta Basketball
The Cobb Watershed Stewardship program’s Privet Pull Mob for this afternoon at Noonday Creek Park
Send your weather news and photos and we’ll post it here: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
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Many areas of East Cobb got a half-inch to an inch of snow Tuesday; temperatures are not expected to rise above freezing until Thursday.
Here’s your mid-day Wednesday Cobb winter weather update, and we’ll keep adding more information as we get it the rest of the afternoon:
Cobb County government offices will be closed all day today because of the icy road conditions, and with temperatures not expected to rise out of the 20s.
That includes courts, public libraries and all CobbLinc bus service. Late last night county officials had indicated a delayed starting time of 10 a.m., but road conditions have made it hazardous to travel, as ice is packed under snow.
Accidents are taking place in many areas; Marietta Police said this morning that at least 15 accidents have taken place in the city, and that number is expected to climb. There’s no word yet on major accidents in the East Cobb area, but we will update any information that becomes available.
Any roads with melting ice are expected to refreeze tonight, and crews will be back out treating major routes. The Cobb Commute link has updates on roads that have been treated.
Cobb government sent out this message via social media earlier this morning:
Cobb DOT crews spent the night treating roadways and crews continue to work the roads, now on their second run over their countywide routes. But as the snowfall moves out, the number of accidents in the county has increased, with police reporting some hills and bridges impassable.
County officials will get more updates from the DOT crews and make a determination later today when to resume operations.
After Tuesday’s snow, temperatures fell dramatically below freezing. Cobb DOT had work crews out all night and into the morning, but because of icy conditions and sub-freezing temperatures into Thursday afternoon, motorists are advised not to get out on to the roads unless they have to.
As of 11 a.m. Cobb schools have not communicated any new information, including whether there will be classes on Thursday.
As of this writing the temperatures are in the mid teens in East Cobb, with highs projected only in the low to mid-20s. Lows tonight are forecast to fall back into the teens, with highs in the 40s expected on Thursday, but not until the afternoon.
East Cobb News will continue to update this post during the day with the latest information about closures, cancellations, postponements and other weather-related news.
Send your weather news, and photos if you have them, to: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll post them.
What follows below are the latest closings/delayed openings/cancellations/postponements from this morning, not including those we posted last night on the link above:
Closings
Mass and all activities at Holy Family Catholic Church
Dog City Bakery
Haven, The Dog Spot
Tritt Animal Hospital
Rescued Too
Johnny’s New York Pizza
Ronald Sachs Violins
East Cobb and Northeast Cobb YMCA
All activities at Emerson Unitarian Universalist Congregation
LGE Community Credit Union
All Fidelity Bank branches
Kids’ Zone Daycare and Learning Center
Club Pilates East Cobb
Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant
Montrose Animal Hospital
Studio 348 for Women
Book Nook Marietta
Office and activities at St. Andrew UMC
Peace Love and Pizza
All activities at St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church
Gigi’s Cupcakes
Once & Again Books Shallowford
Cat Clinic of Cobb
Book Exchange
Chick-fil-A Lassiter
All activities at Eastminster Presbyterian Church
Offices and all acitivities at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church
Intrigue Salon
Kids Kuts Salon
Atlanta Swim Academy
Three-13 Salon
Righteous Que
Free-Flite Bicycles
Mansouri Family Dental Care
All activities at Eastside Baptist Church
Parisian Nail Salon
Massage Heights East Cobb
Openings
Zaxby’s Lower Roswell Road, 11 a.m.
Muss & Turner East Cobb, noon
Frankie’s Italian restaurant, Roswell Road
Loyal Q, 11 a.m.
Winston’s Food and Spirits
Terrell Mill Animal Hospital, 10 a.m.
Chick-fil-A Woodlawn Square, open until 4 p.m.
Marietta Donuts, open until 5 p.m.
Marietta Fish Market, 4 p.m. depending on road conditions
Chick-fil-A East Lake
The Wing Cafe and Tap House
WellStar East Cobb Health Park
Marietta Ice Center revised schedule for public skating sessions: 1:15-3:15 p.m.; 3:30-6 p.m.; 6:15-8:45 p.m.
Cancellations
East Cobb UMC Wednesday Night Supper
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Shortly before 8:30 tonight, the Cobb County School District announced that Cobb schools will be closed on Wednesday, for students and staff, “due to road and travel conditions.”
Gov. Nathan Deal has declared a state of emergency for 83 counties in Georgia, including Cobb, and non-essential state government offices will be closed Wednesday.
Cobb DOT crews are working in 12-hour shifts, starting at 5 p.m. today, and switching to fresh crews at 5 a.m. Wednesday, to treat major roads with a salt and gravel mix as between a half-inch to an inch of snow is forecast to fall on Cobb, and turn to ice as temperatures reached freezing.
Cobb County government is on a delayed opening Wednesday until 10 a.m., including libraries.
With the wind chill, temperatures in the morning could feel as cold as several degrees below zero. A winter weather advisory is in effect for Cobb and most of north Georgia until 10 a.m. Wednesday and a wind chill advisory is in effect until 7 a.m.
CobbLinc will delay the start of all bus services until 10 a.m.
Snowfall began falling in East Cobb a little after 7 tonight, as temperatures fell to around the freezing mark.
The Walker School also is closed on Wednesday, as are Mt. Bethel Christian Academy, the Wood Acres School, Gracepoint School and Faith Lutheran School.
All campuses of Kennesaw State University are closed on Wednesday, but dining services will continue. All campuses of Chattahoochee Tech also will be closed Wednesday.
The Eastside Christian School open house scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed a week to Jan 24 at 9:30 a.m. All classes are cancelled Wednesday.
The St. Catherine’s Episcopal preschool is closed Wednesday, as is the St. Ann Catholic preschool.
At Transfiguration Catholic Church, preschool, PREP classes and Adult Education classes are cancelled Wednesday, and perpetual adoration will be closed until noon.
The Northeast Cobb Business Association luncheon Wednesday has been cancelled.
The East Cobb YMCA and Northeast Cobb YMCA are delaying opening until 10 a.m.
Olde Towne Athletic Club is opening at noon Wednesday.
More updates will posted here as they become available.
ORIGINAL REPORT, posted 4:55 p.m.:
With public and private schools already having cancelled Tuesday evening events, here’s the latest Cobb winter storm update. We’ll keep posting additional information as we have it, including any news about Cobb schools for Wednesday.
The Cobb County School District has been saying this afternoon that “a decision about school for Wednesday will be made either late tonight or early tomorrow morning.”
Send your news about cancellations/postponements to: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll add it here.
Weather Conditions
From the National Weather Service, precipitation is expected to come through a line from Carrollton to Canton and into northeastern Georgia around 6 p.m. tonight (as shown in map above), and as temperatures plunge dramatically.
Temperatures were in the high 40s in the East Cobb area around 4:30 p.m., but dropping temperatures, along with the wind chill, could make it feel a few degrees below zero overnight and into early Wednesday morning.
Closings/cancellations/postponements
Cobb County government, including libraries, is closing at 6 tonight, and programs and events scheduled for tonight are cancelled or rescheduled. All government offices, agencies and facilities are slated to open on a delayed basis on Wednesday at 10 a.m.;
The East Cobb and Northeast Cobb YMCA branches are cancelling all after school activities, as well as paid programming. The branches plan to stay open until 7:30;
Transfiguration Catholic Church is cancelling all evening parish activities and meetings, PREP classes and adult ed classes, and Perpetual Adoration is closed from 6 tonight to noon Wednesday. Tonight’s 7 p.m. Mass will be held “as long as the weather holds up,” according to a social media post from around 1 p.m.;
St. Ann Catholic has cancelled Wednesday Mass services at 6:30 a.m. and 9 a.m.;
The Walker School is cancelling all after school-activities, including practices and games;
The Wood Acres After School Tree House is closing at 5 p.m.
After-school care at Mt. Bethel Christian Academy is closing at 5 p.m. and North campus athletics are cancelled;
All after-school activities at Eastside Christian Academy will conclude at 5:30, and pickup is required by that time. JV basketball games at Mt. Paran are cancelled;
All campuses of Kennesaw State University are closing at 5 p.m., and all night classes after that are cancelled;
The same goes for all campuses at Chattahoochee Tech, closing at 5 p.m.;
The Walton High School wrestling team’s picture day and senior night event scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed a week, to Jan. 24.
Cobb DOT/Roads
The Cobb DOT road maintenance division has been pretreating roads with brine this morning and is treating roads with salt and gravel mix on designated major routes this afternoon. Between a half-inch and an inch of snow is expected in Cobb. A total of 15 crews will be rolling out by 5 p.m., with another similar number of crews to follow at 5 a.m. Wednesday.
Emergency Information
The Cobb 911 office issued this information around 3 p.m. Tuesday:
Cobb County and much of North Georgia is preparing for the possibility of hazardous weather. Here are some numbers that you might need. Call these numbers instead of 911 if there is not an emergency. Call 911 if you need the fire department, an ambulance or the police. 911 is unable to give time frames on power outages.
Do Not Call 911 unless it is a life-threatening emergency. This would include someone who is utilizing life-sustaining equipment that requires electricity. 911 will not report your outage to any utility company.
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All afternoon and evening activities are canceled for Tuesday, January 16, except for ASP which will operate on a normal schedule. Parents are encouraged to pick up students from ASP as early as possible.
Classes resumed today in the Cobb County School District after Monday’s Martin Luther King holiday, but the system released this statement shortly before 9 a.m. regarding the winter weather advisory issued yesterday about the National Weather Service:
We are monitoring weather forecasts and temps for late Tuesday into Wednesday, January 17, and the impact the weather may have, if any, on Tuesday evening activities and Wednesday classes.
Marietta City Schools have cancelled all Tuesday evening exracurricular activities.
In East Cobb, the only postponement/cancellation we have thus far is Johnson Ferry Christian Academy delaying its scheduled open house tonight to next Monday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. in the chapel.
Some school districts in north Georgia, including Bartow County, are releasing early today, but thus far Cobb has not indicated that will be happening here.
Tuesday’s high temperatures in Cobb and metro Atlanta are expected to be in the high 40s.
The snow isn’t expected until late this afternoon, with very cold weather moving in this evening.
That winter weather advisory area includes Cobb and goes into effect from 5 p.m. tonight to 7 a.m. Wednesday. In addition, a wind chill advisory has been issued that also includes Cobb from 9 p.m. tonight to 1 p.m. Wednesday.
The NWS has extended its advisory area to include most of Georgia; the map below was issued earlier this morning.
More updates will be posted here when they become available.
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The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for Cobb and most of north Georgia that begins at 4 p.m. Tuesday and continues through 7 a.m. Wednesday.
Cobb and Marietta are included in an area outlined in white in the map below, at right, that could get up to an inch of snow, starting late Tuesday afternoon. In addition, temperatures are expected to fall between five degrees above zero to zero Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, in what the NWS refers to as wind chill values at “dangerous levels.”
Original report, posted at 1:06 p.m.
In addition to really having to bundle up again—below freezing temperatures are back, along with wind chills that will make it feel like it’s in the single digits—there’s a chance of light snow for Cobb, metro Atlanta and most of northwest Georgia Tuesday afternoon.
The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement that up to an inch of light snow is possible across an area above a line from LaGrange to Conyers to Commerce
as early as Tuesday afternoon and into Wednesday morning.
While Tuesday’s daytime highs could reach into the 50s, it’s in the late afternoon and evening hours that the precipitation is most likely to occur, and temperatures are expected to plunge into the high teens in metro Atlanta.
Wednesday’s temperatures are not expected to reach freezing, with lows also in the teens. Skies will be sunny, but the wind chill factor will linger at least through Wednesday.
Here’s more from the NWS advisory, which was issued early Monday morning:
Although forecast amounts will mainly be less than 1 inch, temperatures will be well below freezing Tuesday night. Any snow that falls, no matter how light will likely remain on the roads and ground through Thursday morning.
Low temperatures Wednesday morning will range from 12 to 20 degrees with wind chill readings from 10 above to near zero.
Temperatures are expected to drop into into single digits, so any snow that falls will stick.
We will update this forecast if it changes, which the NWS said is likely, including possible school closures.
The weather will get warmer for the weekend, with highs in the 50s and possibly even into the low 60s on Sunday, when a light chance of rain is in the forecast.
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From a winter weather advisory one day to mid-60-degree temperatures the next? That’s how this week started out in East Cobb and around metro Atlanta.
The warming trend is expected to continue through the rest of the week, with highs edging into the low 60s through Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
But chilly weather will be back for the weekend, with highs Saturday and Sunday expected to be only in the high 30s.
Lows will dip into the 20s on those nights, and for next week, temperatures are not forecast to get higher than the low 40s. Low temperatures below freezing are also expected.
By next weekend, it may start to get warmer, into the 50s.
But it’s still winter, which means it can often feel a little like spring, fall and winter, sometimes in the span of one week.
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As Cobb schools and many private schools are closed today, some businesses and local government are opening on a delayed basis.
Cobb government, including libraries, opened at 11 a.m. and will stay open through their normal opening hours. Here’s the latest on what we know about East Cobb businesses opening later than usual:
Johnson Ferry Baptist Church will “adhere to our regular schedule” on Monday;
Peace, Love and Pizza: Opening at 12;
Johnny’s Style New York Pizza: Tentatively opening at 1 p.m.;
LGE Community Credit Union is opening all branches at noon;
All paid YMCA programs at both the East Cobb and Northeast Cobb facilities today are cancelled;
Chicago’s Steak & Seafood: Facebook message says it’s closed all day, not for the weather but rather “in observance of” the Georgia-Alabama college football national championship game.
Light rain was still falling in the late morning in East Cobb, with temperatures in the mid 30s.
Shortly after 11 a.m. today, the National Weather Service in Atlanta extended the winter weather advisory issued for overnight and through this morning from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
According to the NWS, there is still “patchy light freezing rain” causing treacherous road conditions as temperatures push above freezing and into the low 40s in Cobb and metro Atlanta early this afternoon. Scattered showers are expected around the Atlanta area for the rest of the day and into the evening, when downtown will be taken over by those attending the Alabama-Georgia game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Atlanta and Fulton County governments were closing early for that reason as well, and the first day of the Georgia General Assembly adjourned late this morning in anticipation of weather and football-related traffic.
The NWS said freezing rain issues have been more serious in northwest Georgia. One media report indicated a 35-car pile-up in Catoosa County shut down Interstate 75 earlier this morning near Ringgold due to icy roads.
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Around 7:20 p.m. Sunday, the Cobb County School District announced that the system will be completely closed on Monday, for students and staff, due to a forecast of freezing rain overnight and into the morning.
That follows a winter weather advisory from the Atlanta office of the National Weather Service issued earlier Sunday afternoon. It’s a tiered advisory, going into effect for Cobb and metro Atlanta and north central Georgia from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday.
The forecast calls for light freezing rain, with an accumulation of up to 1/10th of an inch possible. In its announcement, Cobb schools said the potential impact on roads and travel was enough to prompt a full closure.
UPDATED, 8:50 P.M.:
Here are the latest closings/delays we have for the East Cobb area. If you have closures to report, please e-mail us at editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll include it in future updates.
The Walker School will be closed on Monday, as will High Meadows School; Eastside Christian School; Eastminster Christian Preschool; St. Catherine’s Episcopal Preschool; St. Ann’s Catholic Preschool and Monday Masses; and Transfiguration Catholic Preschool, PREP classes and adult ed classes.
All campuses of Kennesaw State University and Chattahoochee Technical College also will be closed Monday.
Paid programming events (swimming lessons, etc.) at the McCleskey-East Cobb Family YMCA and the Northeast Cobb Family YMCA are being cancelled on Monday.
The Cobb Chamber of Commerce breakfast scheduled for Monday morning also has been postponed.
Cobb County government announced that its offices would be open on a delayed basis, at 11 a.m. Monday. That includes all public library branches.
The LGE Community Credit Union is delaying opening all branches until noon Monday.
Returning to original post:
The NWS forecast indicated that the possible icy conditions were likely to be enough to affect the Monday morning commute.
Over the weekend, City of Atlanta and Fulton County government announced they would be closing early Monday, in part because of the weather but also due to the national college football championship game tomorrow night between Georgia and Alabama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Georgia and Cobb DOT trucks also were going out overnight to treat roads ahead of the freezing rain. Cobb trucks were slated to begin salt treatment of bridges and overpasses around 2 a.m. Monday.
Shortly after Cobb schools announced they would be closed the Marietta, Atlanta and Fulton school systems, and others around metro Atlanta, also said they would be closed Monday.
After a very cold first week of 2018, temperatures in Cobb and metro Atlanta are expected to climb into the low 40s by Monday afternoon. Highs are forecast to be in the 50s during the week and even into the 60s by the weekend.
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For the second time this week, the National Weather Service office in Atlanta has issued a wind chill advisory that includes Cobb County.
The advisory period is from 7 p.m. Thursday to 10 a.m. Friday for northwestern Georgia. Low temperatures are projected to dip into the teens, with wind chills possibly resulting in temperatures between five above and seven below zero.
Two East Cobb churches are also offering shelter from the cold tonight for the homeless, and need volunteers. Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church (4385 Lower Roswell Road) and Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road) announced on the Opening Our Doors website that they need volunteers at both locations.
The cold snap that’s lingered into the new year won’t be thawing out anytime soon. Friday’s high is forecast to be only in the mid 30s, with Friday lows once again in the teens. Saturday and Sunday highs will be the same, and there’s a chance of freezing rain on Sunday night.
Temperatures aren’t expected to get into the 40s until Monday, and next week could bring temperatures in the low 50s.
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If you think the end of 2017 was cold, the first week of the New Year is going to be the coldest weather sequence of the winter.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory from 7 p.m. tonight until 10 a.m. Tuesday for most of northwest Georgia, including Cobb County.
Not long after 2018 rang in, the temperatures dropped dramatically. At around noon today the temperature in East Cobb hovered around 20 degrees, and the high isn’t expected to get beyond the mid 20s.
But it feels a lot colder than that, and it will for the rest of New Year’s Day and into Tuesday.
The wind chill is the real issue. At around 8 a.m. the NWS estimated the wind chill in the Marietta area was 3 degrees above zero.
There was a chance of light snow flurries this morning as well, although nothing has been reported to have fallen in the Cobb area.
It’s after the sun goes down tonight that even colder weather, aided by the wind, could drop into the mid teens. The projected wind chill in the advisory area—a line running roughly north from Carrollton to Canton to Cleveland—could be between 5 degrees above zero and zero.
The wind chill means that it’s precarious to go outside with skin exposed. Frostbite and hypothermia can occur quickly, so individuals are advised to wear heavy coats, hats and gloves and to bring outdoor pets inside.
Tuesday will be sunny with a high just above freezing, with lows in the high teens.
Wednesday and Thursday won’t be much warmer, with highs also around freezing. By the weekend, there may be something of a thaw, with highs in the low 40s for Sunday.
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Forecast map issued by the National Weather Service Atlanta around 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement for Cobb County and much of central and north Georgia, and includes the possibility of a “wintry mix” of light sleet and rain in the early morning hours of Wednesday.
Shortly after 3 p.m. the NWS office in Atlanta said brief periods of light rain and possibly sleet are most likely along and north of Interstate 20. Accumulations are not expected, according to the NWS forecast, which indicates that the precipitation is most likely to take place between midnight and 6 a.m.
The chance of rain or sleet after daybreak Wednesday is 30 percent, and the highs tomorrow are expected to be in the mid 40s. A slight chance of rain or freezing rain could return on Thursday, when temperatures are expected to reach in the mid 30s and lows could reach into the mid 20s.
Friday and Saturday will be sunny, with highs in the mid 40s and lows in the 20s.
On Sunday, New Year’s Eve, more winter weather is a possibility, with snow and sleet possible before 1 p.m. Lows could dip into the low 20s.
On New Year’s Day, the sun will return but it will still be cold, and may not get above freezing.
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Two weeks ago, East Cobb and most of North Georgia was digging out of several inches of snow.
Two days before Christmas, the temperatures were nearly 70 degrees, and Christmas Eve day weather will be mild, with highs in the 50s.
But if you’re heading out to Christmas Eve services or other activities tonight, dress warm, and expect to stay bundled up most of the week, heading into the new year.
In addition to getting much colder, the weather also will be windy for the next few days.
After several days of rain and dreary skies to go with those warm temperatures, the skies will be clearing up. Sunday’s forecast will be mostly cloudy, with a high around 53, according to the National Weather Service.
By mid evening, temperatures will drip into the 40s, and may fall below freezing overnight, with some lows into the high 20s. Winds could get as high as 30 mph throughout the day on Sunday.
The Christmas Day forecast calls for sunny skies, but highs may not reach into the 40s all day, and winds as high as 20 mph.
On Tuesday, it will start to warm with sun, and highs in the high 40s, and the same goes for Wednesday, when rainy weather could return.
By Thursday, we may be in for a chance of freezing rain, with precipitation continuing and highs reaching into the high 30s.
Sunny skies will return by Saturday, but high temperatures aren’t likely to exceed the low 40s.
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The Israel residence near Pope High School was one of the last serviced by Cobb EMC that was still without power Tuesday. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
UPDATED, WEDNESDAY, 1:20 P.M.:
Murray Israel followed up to say that electricity was restored to his home Tuesday night, but the family was still without heat until this morning because the furnace had to be repaired. It was damaged when a transformer blew out during the storm.
ORIGINAL REPORT POSTED TUESDAY, 5:47 P.M.:
On Tuesday morning, Murray Israel made yet another call to report a service outage to Cobb EMC. His East Cobb family, without power for nearly four days, was among the last customers waiting for the lights—and heat—to come back on.
He placed a service ticket with Cobb EMC, which has been indicating that the Israel residence on Ethan Drive, about a mile from Pope High School, has had its power restored.
Except by late Tuesday afternoon, that wasn’t the case.
For the last three nights, Israel and his wife have kept warm by the fireplace, and later huddled under blankets in the dark, and the cold, while their children have stayed with friends. Everyone else in their Hembree Hills subdivision has had power restored.
Israel was hoping Tuesday would be the day the lights went back on, since he and his family were eager to observe the first night of Hanukkah.
“It’s the Festival of Lights, and we have no lights,” Israel said in a phone interview with East Cobb News, whom he contacted about his situation, frustrated by Cobb EMC’s response. “It’s really, really cold” in the house.
He estimated the temperature inside was around 40 degrees, not much different than Tuesday’s high temperature, and didn’t want to spend another night like the last three.
While the area that includes the Israels’ neighborhood was hard-hit by the winter storms, his particular issue is down to the micro-level. Israel said he noticed downed lines linking a transformer to his house.
“Our problem is just down to our house,” he said. “It’s an isolated situation that’s not affecting anyone but us.”
Kevan Espy, Cobb EMC’s senior vice president for marketing and corporate communications, told East Cobb News around 3 p.m. Tuesday that fewer than 200 of its customers—174, to be exact—were still without power, and that the electric cooperative’s goal was to be down to none by the end of the day.
“I would love to have this all taken care of later tonight,” Espy said of the remaining outages.
For the Israels, sundown also means the beginning of their religious observance. Tentative plans called for a family dinner out, for warmth and light, as much as food.
The storm, which began on Friday, knocked out service to an estimated 69,000 Cobb EMC customers, or about 40 percent of its customer base.
Espy said Cobb EMC called in additional crews from Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and elsewhere in Georgia to conduct around-the-clock repairs that in some places were more difficult than expected.
“It’s individual service calls like this that we’re down to tackling now,” he said, referring to the Israels’ outage.
Israel said his frustration was compounded by being told by customer service representatives the same thing over and over—that his lights were on when they weren’t—and not getting a satisfactory response when he sent a message via Twitter.
He said he’s filed a complaint with the Georgia Public Service Commission, but more than anything just wants to lights to come back on.
There were thousands of power outages in that particular area of Northeast Cobb. Hembree Hills is located between North Hembree Road and Davis Road, which was closed until Sunday afternoon due to downed trees and power lines.
Even on Tuesday, as East Cobb began to thaw out and students returned to school, work crews were still busy. Downed trees and branches were laying by the side of Holly Springs Road and Hembree Road, not far from Pope. Another crew was working on traffic light signalization at Holly Springs and Post Oak Tritt Road.
A message sent by Cobb County Government Tuesday morning said Cobb officials estimate the nearly 12 inches reported in some areas to be an all-time high in the county for a single storm.
By mid-morning Tuesday, nearly 200 locations around the county were being checked for debris and tree removal, according to Cobb spokesman Ross Cavitt, and that final clean-up may not be until after Christmas.
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Just after 3 p.m. Monday, the Cobb County School District announced via social media that all classes and other school activities are back on for Tuesday:
All Cobb County schools will resume classes on Tuesday, December 12, on a normal schedule.
Cobb schools have been out of session since an early release on Friday, as a winter storm approached metro Atlanta and left in some areas nearly a foot of snow.
Some of those areas included portions of Cobb County, and resulted in power outages that includes some school facilities.
Cobb schools cancelled Monday classes for that reason, and because of icy roads, including school parking lots and driveways.
Temperatures reached above 50 degrees on Monday afternoon, and lows tonight aren’t expected to fall below 40.
As of 3 p.m. Monday, Cobb EMC said it was down to restoring power to 1,377 Cobb customers and working to repair a broken power pole on Ebenezer Road.
Georgia Power reported Monday afternoon that it has around 6,000 customers still without power, with a handful in Northeast Cobb.
Earlier Monday, Cobb DOT said that Davis Road between Holly Springs Road and Sandy Plains Road remained closed, due to downed trees and power lines that also cut off electric power.
All Cobb government offices reopened under regular hours on Monday, including libraries, which were closed all weekend due to the winter weather.
On Monday evening, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road) is holding a Christmas Festival concert at 7 p.m. That was an addition to the schedule after two Saturday holiday concerts were cancelled due to the weather.
The forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday calls for mostly sunny skies and highs in the mid-40s and for the rest of the week, with highs in the low 50s projected for Thursday and for the weekend.
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Trees at the Marietta Campground covered with snow. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)
We did get out and around East Cobb Sunday afternoon, as did many other East Cobbers needing food and other provisions (including Christmas trees) and trying to get back to normal.
Many businesses and restaurants were also open, and most roads with downed trees and power lines had been cleared.
As was reported earlier today, Cobb schools will be closed Monday, due to icy roads expected in the morning, and because some schools still do not have electrical power.
We haven’t gotten details on which schools were without power, but icy road conditions across the county are expected for Monday; temperatures are expected to reach into the low 50s, along with the same sunny skies we’ve had since Saturday.
Send us your photos and news!
Share your winter weather pictures, and we’ll post them, as well as business or other closings or cancellations. E-mail editor@eastcobbnews.com.
As of 5:20 p.m. Sunday, Cobb EMC estimated that about 5,000 of its customers are still without power (outage map), and that a broken power line on Ebenezer Road in Northeast Cobb is still among those needing repair.
Earlier today we also noted that there was only one road in the county that was closed, and that was the roundabout at Holly Springs Road and Davis Road. It was open when we drove through there shortly after 3 p.m. (photo just below); if you’re heading north on Holly Springs you may notice a few tree limbs hanging close to a power line, which apparently had been the cause of the closure.
We then traveled eastbound on Shallowford Road, from Sandy Plains to Johnson Ferry, there were some patches of ice, since there wasn’t a lot of direct sunshine. In particular, there were icy spots in the right eastbound lane on Shallowford between Sandy Plains and Lassiter Road, so if you’re in that area, take precautions and slow down, especially at the intersections of Wesley Chapel Road, North Hembree Road and Old Suttons Way (just below).
Johnson Ferry Road was well traveled around 3:30 p.m., and as traffic increased for the Johnson Ferry Baptist Church Christmas Festival service that began at 4 p.m. There’s another service at 7 p.m., and there are police officers directing traffic.
Heading westbound on Lower Roswell Road was almost pure slush, especially between Indian Hills Parkway and Old Canton Road. Unlike Shallowford, this stretch of Lower Roswell was getting a lot of direct sunlight, but with temperatures freezing overnight it figures to be treacherous for Monday morning traffic.
Here’s what we have on openings/closings for Monday as of 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Please e-mail your news/photos to: editor@eastcobbnews.com:
Cobb public libraries will be open;
St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church preschool and St. Ann Catholic preschool are closed Monday;
Classes at The Walker School are closed Monday. The U.S. Science exam will start at 12pm, the campus will open to U.S. arrivals at 11:30am. This is the only exam tomorrow and includes 8th grade students taking the Biology exam. The Lower School chorus concert will occur as planned at 7 p.m.;
Ronald Sachs Violins will be open from 3-6 on Monday;
High Meadows Schools will be closed Monday;
East Cobb Pediatrics will be open on Monday;
A Monday holiday concert of the Sprayberry High School chorus also is cancelled since there will be no school tomorrow.
Students (and we hope some adults!) get to enjoy a continuation of a most unexpected winter wonderland in East Cobb, two weeks before Christmas.
The entrance to the Willow Ridge subdivision at Robinson Road.
Send news of opening/closing/cancellations and photos of the snow near you to: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
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Cobb schools posted this notice on its Twitter account just a few moments ago:
All Cobb County schools are closed Monday, December 11, for both students and staff, due to continued power outages at multiple schools and poor travel conditions on secondary roads in the northern part of the county.
ORIGINAL REPORT, POSTED 12:47 P.M. SUNDAY:
By noon Sunday, East Cobb was still digging out of snowy and icy weather as temperatures gradually began to rise above freezing.
Work crews were out early Sunday morning, treating roads, removing trees and restoring power. Some areas of East Cobb were affected.
The only remaining road closure in the county is in East Cobb, at the intersection of Davis Road and Holly Springs Road, according to Cobb DOT. There, power lines were tangled with trees, and even after repair work is complete, motorists are advised not to travel through that area (where the roundabout is located).
Bill Shelton, Cobb DOT’s road maintenance manager, said in a statement that “We hope to have the majority of trees cleaned up by mid-afternoon. We’ll spend much of the week picking up the debris off the right-of-way. It will be a long week, but we are up to the task.”
Cobb DOT crews treated roads overnight Saturday into Sunday, treating “black ice” on roads as temperatures dropped into the low 20s, refreezing melted snow and water. More than 50 locations were treated.
Cobb DOT crews also are dealing with tree removal issues on major roads and in county right-of-way areas today. A total of 55 calls were addressed by right before 8 a.m. Sunday, with another hundred or so remaining.
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Share your winter weather pictures, and we’ll post them, as well as business or other closings or cancellations. E-mail editor@eastcobbnews.com.
Some East Cobbers were still without power this morning, some for more than a day since several inches of snow began falling on Friday afternoon.
East Cobb United Methodist Church, on Roswell Road near East Piedmont Road, did not hold services today because it’s still without electricity. The same was the case for St. Andrew United Methodist Church on Canton Road, which also cancelled a holiday concert scheduled for Sunday.
By mid Sunday morning, Cobb EMC reported that it was still working on repairing several broken utility poles in the county, including Ebenezer Road in East Cobb.
Around 5,000 Cobb EMC customers, some of them in East Cobb, were still without power by mid-morning. The agency said it cannot estimate the time when service might be restored.
Earlier this morning, Cobb EMC said it is still working in that area, and in portions along Paper Mill Road, to restore electricity. Here’s an outage map that indicates more detail; those who haven’t reported outages should call 770-429-2100.
Georgia Power offered some general time blocks for restoring power to affected areas, including by 3 p.m. in metro Atlanta and by 6 p.m. in Atlanta North.
Its latest outage map shows that most customers in metro Atlanta who have lost power have had it restored, with most remaining issues in north Georgia.
OPENINGS/CLOSINGS, ETC.
Here’s the latest on what we know, at around noon Sunday. Send your news/photos to: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll add it here, or in future posts:
Lutheran Church of the Resurrection cancelled all Sunday services and is postponing today’s Christmas Pageant and Advent Dinner to a later date;
Cactus Car Wash is open from 12-6 today;
The Pope Showcase of the Arts that was scheduled for today has been postponed to Sunday, December 17th at 7:30 p.m.;
As of now (around 12:30 p.m. Sunday), the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony concert at 4 p.m. at the Lassiter HS concert hall is still going on as scheduled;
The Johnson Ferry Christmas Festival concerts at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. are still scheduled as of now, and a makeup concert from Saturday will take place at 7 p.m. Monday;
Sunday ChrisTeen classes at Transfiguration Catholic Church (4:30 and 7:30 p.m.) are cancelled;
The Carols for Christmas concert at Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church at 6 p.m. is still scheduled;
The St. Nicholas Holiday Market scheduled from 12-4 today at Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Catholic Church is being postponed to next Sunday, Dec. 17, as power at the church was only restored at midnight;
The Empty Bowl Brunch today at The Art Place-Mountain View also is being postponed a week, to Sunday, Dec. 17. If you have tickets and cannot make it next week, please contact The Art Place on Monday for a refund; the event is a benefit for MUST Ministries;
A Monday holiday concert of the Sprayberry High School chorus also is cancelled since there will be no school tomorrow;
Here are some social media postings yesterday and today from around East Cobb; we’ve also been iced in at East Cobb News and are going to try and get out a little bit today!
Send news of opening/closing/cancellations and photos of the snow near you to: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
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Snowfall estimates in Cobb County range from two to eight inches, and freezing temperatures are in the Saturday night forecast.
UPDATED, 4:30 P.M. SATURDAY:
Shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday, Cobb EMC indicated that around 16,000 customers were still without power combined in all of its five counties of service, with the following numbers of customers without power in the following East Cobb ZIP codes:
30062: 1,624
30066: 2,621
30067: 536
30068: 990
30075: 1,620 (Cobb and Fulton)
In a Tweet sent out at 4:15 p.m., Cobb EMC said its hardest-hit areas that remained in East Cobb were along Lower Roswell Road, Little Willeo Road, Timber Ridge Road and Sandy Plains Road.
Georgia Power doesn’t have a number of customers still needing power to be restored, and says it can’t give estimates on when the lights will go back on, but also has been updating an outage map.
Although temperatures have risen above freezing this afternoon, and combined with sunshine have caused some melting of snow, state and local officials are urging citizens to stay home for the rest of Saturday, since freezing temperatures will be in effect.
All of metro Atlanta and north Georgia has been subjected to downed trees and power lines, and work is underway to clear them.
At 3 p.m. Cobb government sent a message saying that the county DOT is undertaking tree removal tasks.
“Most main roads are considered to be in good shape,” the DOT message said, indicating that crews will be out again on Sunday “to make sure every road is open by the end of the weekend.”
Residents should report downed trees by calling Cobb County 911.
The Bethlehem Walk holiday event scheduled for 7-9 Saturday at Mountain View United Methodist Church has been cancelled, as it was on Friday.
SUNDAY CHURCH SERVICE UPDATES:
While some businesses—and especially restaurants—have decided to open today, at least for dinner service, many remain closed. The weather situation also is prompting some churches to call off or reschedule not only holiday events scheduled for the weekend, but also Sunday services. Here’s what we have thus far:
Piedmont Church will not be holding Sunday services after earlier cancelling its Christmas Festival that had been scheduled for Friday and Saturday;
Johnson Ferry Baptist Church has cancelled its Christmas Festival services that were scheduled for 4 and 7 today. The Sunday Christmas Festival services slated for 4 and 7 on Sunday are still on for now, and a service has been added for 7 p.m. Monday to make up for today’s cancellations. The 8:30 a.m. worship service and related Bible Studies or activities will be held on Sunday, but the 9:50 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. worship services and Bible Studies, and activities scheduled around them are still on;
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is holding regular worship services Saturday and Sunday;
St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church is holding one combined service at 11:15 a.m. Church school classes and the 7:45 and 8:45 services are cancelled;
Mt. Zion United Methodist Church also is holding just one service Sunday, at 11 a.m.;
Catholic Church of St. Ann will have most regular Sunday services and events as scheduled, except for hospitality hour;
Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church will have an 11 a.m. service only at its Lower Roswell campus. Here’s more, per the church’s Facebook page: “Nursery will be available, but all Sunday school classes and breakfast are cancelled, and shuttles will not run. Carols for Christmas is still planned for 6pm. North Campus will hold its 10:30 service only. All other NC activities are cancelled.”
We’ve got other openings/closings/cancellations listed below that we posted earlier, with some additions.
Send us your photos and news!
Share your winter weather pictures, and we’ll post them, as well as business or other closings or cancellations. E-mail editor@eastcobbnews.com.
ORIGINAL REPORT, POSTED AT 11:37 A.M. SATURDAY:
By mid-morning Saturday, the sun was starting to sneak out in East Cobb, and some of Friday’s record snowfall was starting to melt away.
But citizens throughout metro Atlanta and north Georgia are being asked to stay off the roads if at all possible today as work crews travel to repair downed electrical lines and trees, restore power and prepare roads for sub-freezing temperatures tonight.
So you’re being asked to enjoy this holiday winter wonderland at home, at least for another day.
As was the case on Friday, many East Cobb businesses are closed, holiday and other events have been cancelled or postponed all day Saturday.
There are still some Georgia Power and Cobb EMC customers without power in East Cobb, although western and more northern portions of the county were harder hit.
Georgia Power has been posting most of the morning that it is not able to give estimated times for restoration of power. It is updating on its outage map.
Cobb EMC is reporting “high volume with our outage reporting channels,” and also is tracking via an outage map that is working intermittently.
More than 30,000 Cobb EMC customers in the county are without power, including an estimated 7,500 customers in the East Cobb area.
Of those East Cobb outages, around 3,200 have been reported in the 30066 ZIP Code of Northeast Cobb. Cobb EMC has asked for outside help from crews in middle Georgia and other parts of the state as it works to restore power.
Cobb EMC is asking those without power to call 770-429-2100. If the call volume is high (you’re likely to get a constant busy signal), e-mail your outage to memberservices@cobbemc.com. While you won’t get a reply, Cobb EMC said it is logging all e-mails.
Traffic accidents have been reported just about everywhere, with vehicles stranded beside roads, and the hazards of downed trees and power lines are widespread. Here’s what Cobb DOT issued right before 10 a.m. Saturday:
Major roads are mostly passable, but avoid traveling unless absolutely necessary;
Reports of 100 trees down countywide, crews are still in the process of clearing 50 of those;
Another 1.5 inches of snow fell overnight. Reports of 7+ inches in parts of the county are common.
Here’s another update from Cobb DOT, sent at 11:20 a.m.:
Cobb DOT crews working 12-hour shifts have kept most of the main roads passable, but the 911 center has taken hundreds of calls about trees down many blocking roads. Cobb DOT is calling in extra tree-cutting crews at noon to help PARKS crews already dealing with the increasing amount of calls.
Cobb residents that encounter trees blocking roadways or on power lines should report those locations to Cobb County 911.
“We’re hoping the sun stays out and the breeze helps clear the moisture off the roadways,” said Bill Shelton, Cobb County Road Maintenance Division Manager. “If the roads can dry up before temperatures drop back below freezing that would be the best-case scenario.”
Most of the main roads closed by downed trees had been reopened by 11 a.m., but other calls were coming in. Road sensors across the county were reporting temperatures several degrees above freezing.
Here’s else what we know, as of 10:30-11 a.m. or so, about what’s open and what’s not in East Cobb, and what’s been cancelled. Some of this information is obviously very fluid and subject to change. We’re getting e-mails and monitoring social media traffic for most of these items, so please let us know if we need to make a correction/update.
We will be posting significant updates at the top of this post if/when they become available:
CLOSED/CANCELLED
All Cobb public library branches, Cobb Linc service also will be out of operation;
Piedmont Church Christmas Festival is cancelled and is not being rescheduled;
All Upward Basketball games and pictures have been cancelled at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, as have today’s Christmas Festival services. They’re still on for Sunday at 4 and 7 and a 7 p.m. Monday service that’s been added;
Righteous Que restaurant is closed;
Montrose Animal Hospital is closed, Saturday appointments will be rescheduled starting Monday, dropoff for pets with boarding reservations accepted until 2 p.m. today around the back;
Chattahoochee Nature Center is closed all day;
All Saturday services at Transfiguration Catholic Church are cancelled, as well as the 8 a.m. Sunday Mass;
C’est Moi is closed all day Saturday.
OPENINGS/DELAYED STARTS
Loyal Q and Brew restaurant opening at 11 a.m. with limited staff on hand;
The WellStar East Cobb Urgent Care is open from noon to 7 p.m. today;
Simply Fresh Market is open from 12-4 today;
Chick-fil-A Lassiter is tentatively opening between 11:30 a.m. and noon with a limited menu;
Rose and Crown Tavern is closed for lunch and is tentatively planning to open for dinner service at 6 p.m.;
Seed, Stem Wine Bar and Drift are opening for dinner service at 5 p.m.;
Bradley’s Bar & Grill and Zeal Restaurant & Bar are both open Saturday;
Frankie’s Italian Restaurant on Roswell Road opened at 12 pm.;
WZ Tavern on Shallowford Road is open Saturday;
GTC Merchants Walk Cinema is open Saturday;
Both locations of Moxie Burger and La Novia Taqueria will be open until 8 p.m. Saturday;
Black Swan Tavern opening was delayed to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Some East Cobb social media postings to share below, illustrating the depth of the snow, and the danger of the ice underneath that will be freezing again tonight:
Hoping everyone is warm and safe. Don’t forget to work on that jump shot. ❄️ 🏀 pic.twitter.com/wNQAVt5gA4
Send news of opening/closing/cancellations and photos of the snow near you to: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
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The start of Friday’s snow in East Cobb, which got between 2-4 inches in two waves of storms. A winter storm warning is in effect for Cobb County, metro Atlanta and most of north Georgia until 10 a.m. Saturday. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
UPDATED, 8 P.M. FRIDAY:
The National Weather Service has extended its winter storm warning that includes Cobb to 10 a.m. Saturday, as a second wave of snow and winter weather passed through metro Atlanta and north Georgia late Friday afternoon.
Cobb was expected to get between 2-4 inches of snow overall, but those amounts are likely to vary.
Roads in Cobb and elsewhere are becoming increasingly treacherous, as Cobb DOT, Georgia DOT and other crews work to brine roadways, bridges and overpasses overnight Friday. Temperatures have generally dropped below freezing in Cobb and Saturday’s high is expected to be only 40 degrees.
The chance of “black ice” is one of the major concerns, as well as the possibility of falling trees and reduced visibility on roads due to the unexpectedly heavy amounts of snow.
Cobb libraries will be closed on Saturday, after closing at noon on Friday along with other Cobb government offices and facilities.
The second blanket of snow came through metro Atlanta later Friday evening, behind early afternoon storms that prompted school, government, business and many other closures, and as commuters, buses and other vehicles created an early, messy rush hour.
Georgia DOT is urging motorists to treat an intersection with traffic light outages as a four-way stop. They should also call 511 to report outages when they reach a safe destination.
Georgia Power and Cobb EMC were reporting scattered outages. As of 6:30 p.m., Cobb EMC reported that its outage reporting channels were down and they’re working to fix the problem.
Cobb EMC customers who have lost power can download an outage on the Cobb EMC app or call 770-429-2100. The web link still wasn’t working as of 7:30 p.m. but an link can be found here that will link to detailed outage information when it’s available online.
(At 9 p.m. Friday an East Cobb News reader called to say that the Cobb EMC power outage phone number was down, and had been down for about an hour.)
Most of the estimated 5,500 Cobb EMC customers without power as of 8 p.m. were in western and north Cobb, with outages also being reported in several parts of Northeast Cobb.
Georgia Power is asking its customers to consult its outage map but has indicated it is not able to estimate when power may restored to an affected area.
Some closings for Saturday to report are below. E-mail us at: editor@eastcobbnews.com with your news of closings, and any weather photos to share. We’ll keep updating as long as we’re in a pre-Christmas Winter Wonderland:
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church has postponed Saturday’s Breakfast With Santa until next Saturday, Dec. 16, at 9 a.m.;
All events/classes at Studio 348 for Women have been cancelled for Saturday;
East Cobb Pediatrics will be closed Saturday;
Club Pilates East Cobb is closed Saturday;
St. Andrew UMC is postponing its Christmas concert to 6:30 p.m. Sunday (updating information below in this post about a 2 p.m. start);
All parish activities at Transfiguration Catholic Church will be postponed until noon Saturday. The Saturday 9 a.m. Mass will be held if weather permits.
Original report, with some updates from earlier Friday afternoon:
We’re keeping an updated tab on East Cobb weather closings for Friday, with the announcements earlier today of the early release of Cobb schools and the closing of Cobb government at noon.
Here’s what Cobb DOT sent out around 1:15 p.m. Friday:
“With conditions on Cobb County roadways deteriorating faster than expected, Cobb County Department of Transportation called in crews early and began treating trouble spots. By 12:30 traffic slowed to a crawl on many of the county’s roadways and crews manned trucks with salt to head out to the worse areas.
“DOT’s Road Maintenance Division planned on running full shifts until 2 pmSaturday, concerning falling temperatures could cause icing. Some crews concentrated at areas around schools where Cobb’s Elementary Schools, the last to dismiss early, would send buses out at 1:30 pm.
“The division’s full complement of trucks, 15 vehicles in all, will run predetermined routes treating much of the county’s 2500 miles of roadways, including state highways.
“Traffic maps at cobbcommute.org showed many of the county’s thoroughfares either running very slow or at a standstill. Officials urged people not already on the roads to avoid going out until the system moves away.”
Temperatures in Cobb and metro Atlanta are staying around freezing all day, and will be plummeting below that by Friday evening.
Information about closings is coming via e-mail, social media posts and other sources. If you know of closings (schools, businesses, churches, organizations, etc.), and especially planned activities, please let us know and we’ll share it with the community. E-mail news, photos, etc. to: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
Cobb schools are on early release, with the last phase elementary school students at 1:30 p.m. There will be NO extracurricular activities, including the ACT testing, which will be rescheduled
Most private schools in East Cobb are either under an early release or have closed.
Cobb government closed at 12 p.m., including libraries, which will be monitoring road conditions to determine whether to open on Saturday.
The Cobb government closures also include The Art Place-Mountain View (3330 Sandy Plains Road), and tonight’s Center Stage North performance of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” has been cancelled.
Roswell Road at WellStar East Cobb Health Park, shortly after 12 p.m. Friday (From Georgia 511 camera)
Send us your photos and news!
Share your winter weather pictures, and we’ll post them! If you know of school, church, business or other closings or cancellations too! E-mail editor@eastcobbnews.com.
Here are the latest updates about openings/closings for local businesses, organizations, churches (especially for holiday events):
The Piedmont Church’s Christmas at Piedmont festival scheduled for 5-9 Friday has been cancelled; updates about Saturday’s 10-5 session will be posted on its Instagram account;
Mt. Zion United Methodist Church has postponed its Breakfast With Santa, which was to have been from 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Saturday;
All Fidelity bank branches were closing around noon Friday;
The Lockheed-Georgia Credit Union also closed Friday around noon;
Tonight’s Christmas concert at St. Andrew United Methodist Church (3455 Canton Road) is being postponed until Sunday at 2 p.m., with a reception to follow;
Friday’s Bethlehem Walk from 7-9 at Mountain View United Methodist Church is cancelled; the final session of the holiday event is still on for the same time on Saturday;
At The Avenue East Cobb, carriage rides from 4-7 have been cancelled, but Santa Claus will be in the Santa Suite next to J. Jill for visitors and photos during that time;
The Carols for Christmas program Friday at Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church has been cancelled. In its place will be a service at 6 p.m. Sunday
East Cobb Pediatrics closed at 1 p.m. Friday;
All J. Christopher’s locations closed before the normal 2 p.m. closing time;
Olde Towne Athletic Club has closed and will delay Saturday opening until 12 p.m.;
Chicago’s Steak & Seafood is closed Friday;
Seed, Stem Wine Bar and Drift are closed Friday;
The British Swim School of North Atlanta is cancelling Friday lessons and offering free makeup lessons;
Book Exchange is closing early Friday, but an author open house is still scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday;
Righteous Que is closing at 3 p.m. and is not accepting any more phone orders Friday;
Johnson Ferry Baptist Church offices have closed for Friday, and all Friday activities are cancelled. As of 2 p.m. Friday, the Christmas Festival services at 4 and 7 Saturday and regular Sunday worship services are still scheduled;
Big Peach Running Co. closed at 2 p.m. Friday and will update Saturday opening based on weather conditions;
WellStar Medical Group offices closed by 2 p.m. Friday. All WellStar Urgent Care locations were closing at 3 p.m. and are scheduled to open at 10 a.m. Saturday;
All CobbLinc public transit services will be suspended at 8 p.m. Friday and will open Saturday, with service times TBA.
Cobb DOT is urging motorists not to get on the roads if they don’t have to. Conditions are deterioarating and crews will be working to treat the roads as the day continues. To monitor the latest conditions visit the Cobb Commute site.
Sandy Plains Road at East Piedmont Road, also around 12 p.m. Friday (Georgia 511 camera)
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