Cobb weather alert

Cobb schools and government closed Tuesday as winter storm approaches

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Cobb schools and government closed

The Cobb County School District and Cobb government both sent messages out around noon Monday that they will be closed Tuesday, due to a winter storm that’s headed to metro Atlanta and north Georgia.

Their decisions came after Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms held a joint news conference, announcing that state government in the storm area, as well as Georgia’s largest city, would be closing on Tuesday.

Other metro Atlanta governments and school districts also have announced closures for Tuesday, including Marietta City Schools.

State government offices in 35 counties, including Cobb, will be closed on Tuesday, according to Kemp.

The area is bracing for cold, wet weather starting later Monday evening and lasting through Tuesday night.

On Sunday, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch that includes Cobb.

Monday afternoon, the NWS upgraded that status to a winter storm warning, including Cobb, from 3 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Travel could be hazardous due to snow and ice accumulations, including black ice.

Cobb schools spokeswoman Nan Kiel said the following in a statement:

“Knowing that it interrupts the school day and the education process, we did not make this decision lightly. However, given that our District serves more than 112,000 students and their families, as well as 18,000 staff members, and that the safety of our students and staff are paramount, we chose to act on the side of safety.

“The District will continue monitoring the situation, with an eye towards the condition of our roads, and we’ll be sure to update the community further by 5 pm Tuesday evening.”

All events and activities scheduled at schools also have been cancelled or postponed.

Cobb government spokesman Ross Cavitt said the county’s shutdown will begin at 6 a.m. Tuesday, and will reopen depending on when conditions improve. County Manager Rob Hosack said in a statement:

“With a great deal of uncertainty about the timing and amount of snow, we thought this proactive action would be best to ensure the safety of Cobb County workers.”

Cobb DOT crews will be on the job overnight and into Tuesday, Cavitt said, preparing equipment and pre-treating roads starting around sunrise.

Cavitt said the crews will work in 12-hour shifts until the weather event is over, using a salt-sand mixture to treat “known trouble-spots,” especially around curves and on bridges and overpasses.

Other closings

We’re compiling closings of other schools, businesses and organizations and any cancellations or postponements of events for Tuesday. E-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com with your information:

  • St. Catherine’s Episcopal preschool closed;
  • Catholic Church of St. Ann closed;
  • Transfiguration Catholic Church closed;
  • Wood Acres School closed;
  • Primrose School East Cobb closed;
  • Faith Lutheran School closed;
  • Mt. Bethel Christian Academy closed;
  • Orange Theory Fitness Sandy Plains and Marietta-East Cobb opening 3:30 p.m.;
  • Thrive Wellness Center closed;
  • Mt. Zion UMC closed;
  • Wesley Chapel UMC basketball cancelled;
  • Johnson Ferry Christian Academy closed;
  • Eastside Christian School closed;
  • The Walker School closed;
  • East Cobb Tutoring Center closed;
  • Mansouri Family Dental Care closed;
  • East Cobb and NE Cobb YMCA closing at 4 p.m. Tuesday, all group exercise programs before 4 are scheduled (subject to cancelletion), all paid programs are cancelled;
  • East Cobb Business Association Community Breakfast postponed;
  • MUST Ministries program centers in Marietta, Smyrna and Canton and main donation center closed;
  • All locations Marietta Eye Clinic closed, including Marietta Eye Surgery;
  • Dentistry at East Piedmont closing at 12 p.m.;
  • Olde Towne Athletic Club closed;

Weather forecast

The forecast calls for Cobb to get around an inch of snow, with temperatures reaching as high as the low 40s during the day on Tuesday, but dropping to around 20 degrees on Tuesday night.

Monday is the five-year anniversary of a winter storm that crippled metro Atlanta, stranding thousands of motorists and forcing some students, teachers and staff to shelter overnight in schools.

Monday is also the first full day of Super Bowl-related activities in the Atlanta area.

 

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COBB WEATHER ALERT: Tornado watch issued until 4 a.m. Tuesday; Cobb schools cancel Monday night activities

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Cobb weather alert, National Weather Service

UPDATED, 9:20 p.m.

Cobb is included in a tornado watch issued by the National Weather Service until 4 a.m. Tuesday. A second storm system with a tornado is moving out of Alabama. At 10:30 p.m., a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for all of Cobb County until 11:15 p.m. More storms were moving through counties in western Georgia, where tornado warnings had been in effect.

UPDATED, 5:58 P.M:

The Cobb County School District announced shortly before 5 p.m. today that all school-related activities tonight are cancelled.

ORIGINAL POST, 2:04 P.M.:

The National Weather Service has included Cobb and metro Atlanta in a severe weather forecast for this afternoon and evening that includes the possibilities of thunderstorms, high winds, hail and tornadoes.

The threat is greatest between 3 p.m. and midnight, according to the National Weather Service forecast, which includes much of north Georgia.

Here’s more from what the NWS released in its revised projections around 1:30 this afternoon:

Isolated to scattered thunderstorms will develop this afternoon, especially south of I-20. Some of these storms could be strong to severe with large hail and brief gusty winds the primary threat,
along with heavy rain.

Later this afternoon through this evening, a more organized line of severe thunderstorms will move from Alabama into northwest and west-central Georgia. It is along and ahead of this line where all modes of severe weather exist, including tornadoes, large hail potentially greater than 2 inches, and damaging winds in excess of 70 MPH. Heavy rainfall and frequent lightning will also occur. Expect the potential for severe weather to be its highest between 5 PM and 2 AM
Tuesday morning.

This map was released around 2:20 p.m. today:

We’re also seeing some school districts in west Georgia begin to cancel at least after-school activities, due to the weather threat, but haven’t seen anything yet for Cobb. We’ll update that here when we get more information.

 

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