HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. — Road conditions across Habersham County worsened rapidly Saturday afternoon as heavy snowfall turned slushy and refroze, leading to a growing number of accidents and prompting officials to urge residents to stay off the roads.
Tim Sims, Habersham County manager, said conditions declined sharply over a two-hour span as traffic packed snow into slush while temperatures hovered around 20 to 21 degrees.
“People are getting out in the snow thinking they can drive in it better than ice, but it’s turned slushy,” Sims said. “With temperatures around 20 to 21 degrees, it’s still forming ice and causing a lot of accidents.”
Sims said county road crews had been plowing and treating roads since early Friday morning but were temporarily pulled off the roads as snowfall intensified, allowing them to rest and eat before returning when conditions improve.
“It’s been coming down so quickly and so hard the last couple of hours,” Sims said. “They’ll be able to get back out and really start to treat those roads as they need to.”
Running low on salt
County crews will continue spreading salt and gravel as conditions allow, but Sims said keeping roads treated remains the county’s biggest operational challenge, particularly after last weekend’s ice storm depleted salt supplies.
“We’re running low on salt because we put a lot out during the ice storm,” Sims said.
He said the county obtained additional salt through the Georgia Department of Transportation with assistance from Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security, noting that new shipments from the county’s vendor can take up to two weeks to arrive. The county is also helping nearby municipalities that have run out of salt, Sims said.
Despite those efforts, Sims emphasized that safety remains the top priority, especially as accidents increase and crews face dangerous conditions.
“Our road crews are the ones that are really tired,” he said, noting they worked nearly nonstop through Winter Storm Fern last weekend with only brief breaks. “But they know that’s the job, and they’re doing the best they can for the citizens of Habersham County.”
Extreme cold to pose a problem
Looking ahead, Sims warned residents to prepare for prolonged hazardous conditions as snow gives way to extreme cold and wind heading into the work week. He said temperatures are not expected to rise above freezing until late Monday or possibly Tuesday, increasing the risk of repeated melting and refreezing.
“All of this is going to melt and refreeze,” Sims said. “The best thing people can do is stay in and not get on the roads.”
Sims also addressed frustration over extended school closures, stressing that the county does not make those decisions.
“That is not a county decision,” he said. “That is a school board decision.”
He said while county crews work to keep main roads passable, many dirt and shaded back roads cannot be scraped or salted, making travel unsafe for school buses. Decisions about reopening schools rest with the Habersham County Board of Education, which Sims said prioritizes student safety.
With the refreeze coming, it could be Monday or Tuesday, possibly even Wednesday before school is back.
County officials continue to urge residents to avoid unnecessary travel, use caution if they must go out, and be prepared for hazardous conditions to persist into next week.
