National Weather Service forecast for Gainesville
Winter weather tips
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency offers these tips for winter weather preparation:
• Buy a weather radio to keep you up to date on the weather conditions, or download the Ready Georgia mobile app. The app will send out an emergency notification if necessary and keep you informed.
• Keeping a kit on hand with essential items like water, food, a radio, a first aid kit and other necessities during a potential emergency. Pack a gallon of water per person per day for three days and at least a 3-day supply of nonperishable food. You want to pack items like a portable cellphone charger, ice scraper, blankets, sand and jumper cables, which could have slipped your original check list.
• Keep your gas tank at least half full at all times in order to prevent a frozen fuel line problem.
• Keep the warmth, and energy, inside of your home by placing weather stripping along the doors and windows and allowing faucets to drip.
• Stock up on firewood for heating purposes.
Source: GEMA website
Traveling could get tricky Monday if freezing rain plays out as predicted.
On Sunday, the National Weather Service in Peachtree City declared a freezing rain advisory for the Hall County area. The advisory runs 1 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday.
“Roads will become hazardous,” states the advisory. “The weight of ice on trees could bring down some branches.”
Possible bad weather Monday closed the Gainesville and Commerce city school systems. Gainesville City Schools were scheduled for a makeup day from an earlier weather closing. Gainesville students will participate in the online learning/pre-distributed packet options provided by their schools. The Hall County School District is on holiday to observe Presidents Day.
Tree limbs falling on power lines can result in outages.
“(Residents) need to be concerned, especially if you’re going to be traveling,” meteorologist Nikole Listemaa said.
The forecast calls for freezing rain mainly between 1 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday before turning to rain in the afternoon.
Ice accumulation of less than a tenth of an inch is possible, according to the weather service.
Freezing is expected to turn to mostly rain late this afternoon. The high temperature Monday is forecast at 36 degrees.
Georgia Department of Transportation crews are monitoring the forecasts and its effect on roadways, said DOT spokesman Mohamed Arafa.
Brine tankers began treating major interstates and highways Sunday morning to keep ice from forming, he said, including on Ga. 400. Arafa said snow and ice removal crews will respond to any areas where ice accumulates, and will work around the clock as needed.
Brenau University’s Gainesville and Norcross campuses will be closed before 10 a.m. Teachers and faculty are asked to report at 10 a.m., and all classes before 11 a.m. are canceled.
The low overnight Monday is expected to be 35, or just hovering above the freezing mark. Partly cloudy skies are predicted for Tuesday, with the high near 55.