Rough Draft will provide regular storm updates on our website through Monday evening, as well as on our Facebook and Instagram pages. For weather updates, visit WSB-TV.
MARTA service updates • Restaurant closures
Storm-related cancellations • Georgia Power Outage Map
Hartsfield-Jackson flight delays/cancellations • School closures
Submit your storm photos to editors@roughdraftatlanta.com, or tag us on Instagram at @roughdraftatl.
8:30 p.m.
Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) said in an evening press release that ice remains a significant concern on roadways, trees, and powerlines in the overnight hours and Monday morning. GDOT teams are continuing to treat, re-treat, and plow roads, bridges, and overpasses on impacted interstates and state routes this evening and overnight, as long as conditions remain safe enough for crews to work. Motorists are still strongly urged to remain off the roadways. Gusty winds combined with falling temperatures will drive pavement temperatures below freezing. Any remaining moisture on roadways is expected to refreeze, even on previously treated surfaces.
Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul said on social media that city hall and the municipal court will be closed on Monday, but the lobby of city hall will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. as a warming center. City employees will be working remotely if they can.
If Monday is your usual trash day, the City of Atlanta, Fulton County, and DeKalb County have suspended all garbage and recycling pickup.
6:05 p.m.
DeKalb County officials announced on Jan. 25 that it would continue to keep DeKalb County government offices, buildings, and in-person county-sponsored programming closed and canceled through Tuesday, Jan. 27.
Public Works crews have been out pre-salting roadways and applying sand and brine across the county. There are plans to re-treat problem areas as needed on Jan. 26, DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said in a statement.
“Even with these efforts, roads, bridges, and overpasses remain dangerous, especially as temperatures fluctuate and refreeze is expected,” she said. “For your safety and to allow emergency crews to respond without obstruction, residents are strongly urged to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel.”
5:56 p.m.
According to an AJC report, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will have flight disruptions on Monday, with more than 130 flights into and out of Atlanta canceled, according to flight tracking website Flightware.com.
5:34 p.m.
A large chunk of Metro Atlanta remains under an ice storm warning for tonight into tomorrow morning as temperatures fall. With light rain continuing for the next hour in parts of the metro, expect more icy conditions as the thermometer drops into the 20s overnight and through Monday morning. The National Weather Service said there will likely be more power outages as trees and branches come down as well as slick roads.
4:15 p.m.
According to WSB-TV, more than 100,000 Georgians are without power. Georgia Power reported 62,000 outages, mostly in DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties. Georgia EMC reported over 42,000 outages, with 24,000 of those in northeast Georgia and 10,000 in metro Atlanta.
3:30 p.m.
The Sandy Springs Police Department issued a traffic alert for flooding along Georgia 400 south of Northridge Road. Police are instructing residents to stay clear of the area. Because rain and ice continue to bring trees down, the police department said driving is not safe, despite roadways being mostly passable. It’s also likely that any standing water on the roads will freeze overnight.
Earlier in the afternoon, authorities closed the Georgia 400 north and south collector-distributor ramps from Interstate-285 east at Glenridge Drive (Exit 26), due to multiple accidents and icy bridges.
“Traffic is being directed onto Glenridge Drive,” the Sandy Springs Police Department said. “Drivers can access 400 north or south via the Glenridge Connector.”
In a Facebook post, Mayor Rusty Paul said the city has scattered power outages largely related to downed trees or limbs. Paul encouraged residents with outages to check Georgia Power’s website.
“The City of Sandy Springs continues to work on ice storm relief,” Paul said. “We have had 18 trees fall, with 7 still to be removed, with one just reported down in The Branches, which has closed a road there.”
“The rain continues,” Paul said. “Now we have issues with flooding in some areas, including on SR 400 near Northridge. [The Georgia Department of Transportation] has been notified to address that problem. GDOT has also helped by treating the overpasses along 285 and 400.”
3:25 p.m.
“We’re not out of this yet,” GEMA Director Josh Lamb said during a 3 p.m. press conference on the status of the ice storm. He said power outages continue to increase, and state offices will be closed in North Georgia on Monday. “We had a lull in the storm this morning, but more freezing rain is moving into Northeast Georgia this afternoon. Stay at home and indoors.” Officials said a refreeze is expected tonight with more accumulation of sleet and freezing rain.
GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry said there was 80 percent less traffic on the roads today, which has allowed crews to easily and quickly retreat state roads and interstates. A brine truck was struck last night on I-85, and motorists are reminded to give the equipment a wide berth.
Lamb said there were just over 80,000 power outages in the state as of 3 p.m.
The City of Atlanta Department of Transportation posted to social media that it continues to treat city streets.
2:55 p.m.
Several metro Atlanta public school systems, private schools, and colleges and universities will close or switch to remote learning on Monday, as roads will likely remain icy through much of tomorrow. Monday will also see frigid temperatures hovering just above freezing, with wind chill values in the teens and single digits. Check out the running list here.
2:45 p.m.
Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) crews worked through the night to treat Georgia’s interstates and state routes as a winter storm moved across north central Georgia. As of this morning, Georgia DOT crews have applied approximately 1.3 million gallons of brine, 1.6 million pounds of salt, and 3.5 million pounds of aggregate across the northern region of the state, according to a media release.
GDOT continues to assess current and predicted conditions and is shifting additional resources to the hardest-hit areas. This includes reallocating personnel, snowplows, and additional brine trucks to portions of northeast Georgia experiencing worsening conditions.
The release said crews remain very busy across north central Georgia and will stay on duty treating, re-treating, and plowing roadways where conditions allow, and will continue to work 12-hour shifts today.
Heavy rain is expected later today in parts of Georgia. During periods of heavy rain, brine can be washed off the roadway, and crews may temporarily pause brining operations if conditions dictate. Once rainfall subsides and conditions dictate, crews will resume treating roadways as appropriate.
GDOT strongly advised motorists to stay off the roads as temperatures drop tonight and roadways refreeze.
All Georgia Express Lanes will remain closed until further notice, according to the media release. This includes the I-75 Northwest Corridor Express Lanes, I-75 South Metro Express Lanes, and both I-85 Express Lanes facilities.
Contact 511GA for Current Conditions
1:25 p.m.
Power outages have climbed to more than 31,000, according to poweroutage.us. More than 2,600 of those are in Fulton County, while 1,300 are in DeKalb.
While the temperature has climbed to 40F, another round of wintry mix is expected to arrive shortly and last until around 6 p.m. in metro Atlanta. State officials are encouraging residents to stay off the roads.
11:25 a.m.
The AJC reports that more than 16,000 Georgia EMC customers have lost power in North Georgia due to the ice storm.
More than 17,000 Georgia Power customers are without electricity, according to its interactive outage map. Most of the outages were concentrated in metro Atlanta, the AJC reported.
10:55 a.m.
Copy editor and contributor Julie E. Bloemeke snapped these photos of ice accumulation at her home near Milton this morning.
MARTA said it will continue to run a reduced service on Monday with trains arriving every 20 minutes. All bus routes will remain suspended, with the exception of lifeline routes 6, 8, 19, 40, 107, 110, 111, 123, 185, and 196 to provide direct service to major medical facilities and emergency rooms. Visit itsmarta.com for the latest updates.
10:30 a.m.
Sandy Springs mayor Rusty Paul reported on Facebook that crews were dispatched to re-treat the Northside Drive bridge over I-285 and Northridge Drive over Georgia 400 due to reported icing. Bridges throughout the city were re-treated this morning, but Paul urged people to stay off the roads.
Crews were working to remove a downed tree blocking one lane near 499 Johnson Ferry Road. NW. in Sandy Springs.
10:20 a.m.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground delay for flights heading to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The average delay is 1 hour and 57 minutes, according to the FAA. Departures at Hartsfield are also delayed by an average 117 minutes, WSB-TV reports.
Keep track of flight cancellations and delays at Hartsfield via FlightAware or the Atlanta airport’s website.
State officials will provide an update at 3 p.m. today on the impacts of Winter Storm Fern and response measures being taken in the State Operations Center. GEMA Director Josh Lamb; DPS Commissioner Colonel Billy Hitchens; GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry; and General Dwayne Wilson, Adjutant General of the Georgia Guard, will share the latest information from their respective agencies and answer media questions. Rough Draft will attend the virtual press conference this afternoon.
9:25 a.m.
MARTA temporarily suspended bus route 185 due to unsafe road conditions. Service will resume as those conditions improve. Lifeline bus routes 6, 8, 19, 40, 107, 110, 111, 123, and 196 remain in service on special frequencies.
Meanwhile, Georgia Power worked on removing a tree from a power line at Lake Forrest and Long Island drives in Buckhead.
9:05 a.m.
More than 1,400 flights in and out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport have been cancelled due to winter weather both locally and around the country, according to FlightAware.
Gov. Brian Kemp posted a video to social media that more precipitation – and possibly thunderstorms – is expected throughout the day as temperatures warm into the 40s, but to remain vigilant as the thermometer dips into the teens overnight.
“We are doing good right now,” Kemp said. “I want to thank everyone for staying off the roads.”
9 a.m.
Around the metro area, ice is freezing on elevated surfaces, according to reports from government agencies.
Brookhaven police report no road closures in Brookhaven, but ice is now forming on elevated surfaces and trees with some limbs sagging. In Dunwoody, cold rain is falling but only a light coating of ice can be seen on trees.
Tucker city officials report that major roadways were brined and salted Saturday night, and they are working with GDOT to ensure state routes running through the city are properly treated. Residents reported grass and foliage are covered with ice.
Our Sandy Springs reporter Hayden Sumlin said power is out in the southern area of the city.
Several city police departments, including Sandy Springs and Dunwoody, have expanded their real-time crime center to round-the-clock coverage to monitor potential traffic delays and general ice-related conditions.
8:35 a.m.
As predicted, a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain moved into metro Atlanta after midnight on Sunday morning, coating the area with a thin layer of ice by sunrise.
In some parts of north and northeast metro Atlanta, ice is starting to weigh down trees and power lines, increasing the chance of power outages. Expect between a quarter-inch to one inch of ice today, depending on where you live. An ice storm warning remains in effect for metro Atlanta through Monday morning. Arctic air will push into metro Atlanta later tonight, with wind chill values between 0 and 15 above zero by Monday morning. A cold weather advisory is in effect on Monday, from 4-10 a.m.
Road conditions could deteriorate throughout Sunday morning, especially on untreated secondary roads, as the freezing rain and sleet continues. Local and state officials are urging people to stay home and off the roads. Visit our media partner WSB-TV for the most up-to-date weather information.
On Saturday, Gov. Brian Kemp requested federal disaster relief from FEMA, which was approved by President Donald Trump. The Governor also called up the National Guard to deploy to areas in Northeast Georgia where the ice storm will likely cause significant damage.
MARTA rail service began at 6 a.m. with trains arriving every 20 minutes, according to a Sunday morning update from the transit agency. All bus routes are suspended, with the exception of lifeline routes 6, 8, 19, 40, 107, 110, 111, 123, 185, and 196 to provide direct service to major medical facilities and emergency rooms. MARTA Mobility service will operate with pre-booked medically necessary trips, as safe conditions permit. Streetcar service will begin at 8:21 a.m. on a regular Sunday schedule with shuttle vans. Visit itsmarta.com for the latest updates.
Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority (ATL) announced it will suspend all Xpress transit services and Xpress Customer Service for Monday, according to a media release. Xpress will only resume service once conditions are confirmed to be clear and safe for travel. Customers are encouraged to visit xpressga.com for updates.
