Traffic is flowing on state routes and most secondary roads in North Georgia as temperatures melt away the remaining snow.
Power is now fully restored to Habersham EMC and Georgia Power customers in Northeast Georgia. There were hundreds of scattered outages reported across the region during Saturday’s snowstorm.
The sun is melting off the lingering snow and black ice caused by overnight freezing is puddling, too. The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) says roads in Northeast Georgia are passable. Although, “Some bridges and overpasses still have some snow,” says Sergeant First Class Chad Johnson with Patrol Post 7 in Toccoa.
The State Patrol in Gainesville says fog is causing low visibility in some areas. Officials warn there could still be some ice in shaded areas on roadways. “Drivers still need to be cautious,” says Corporal Joshua Hedden with GSP Post 6 in Gainesville.
Numerous wrecks were reported in and around Habersham County on Saturday but officials say no one was seriously injured. Many drivers heeded officials’ pleas to stay off the roads; some who didn’t got stuck.
Vehicles slid and stalled on the snow-covered roads. Some drivers left their cars stranded.
Habersham County Emergency Management Agency Director Lynn Smith says all of Habersham County’s roads are open. She adds, “abandoned vehicles are moved and we are gearing up for more rain this week.”
It’s the second part of that sentence that now has some people worried. The forecast for North Georgia this week calls for moderate to heavy rain with possible flooding.
Flash Flood Watch
The storm system that dumped up to a half-foot of snow on Northeast Georgia came on the heels of a system that dumped up to 5 inches of rain on the same area just a day earlier.
The ground is saturated and area rivers and streams are still running high. That means flooding could quickly develop as the new storm system moves through.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for North Georgia from 1 p.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Check out these snow shots from around North Georgia
Updated 2/9/20@3:25pm
