Don't set aside your winter clothing yet. Snow, gusty winds and cold temperatures are back in the forecast.

The National Weather Service is calling for a chance of snow showers before 1 p.m. today and "new snow accumulation" of less than a half-inch.

The high temperature is expected to be near 41 and forecasters are saying it could get windy, with gusts up to 35 mph possible. And tonight, the low could get down to 26.

Farther north, the weather could be more dicey. Snow accumulation could reach 1 to 2 inches in Cleveland, with a 60 percent chance of the white stuff, according to the Peachtree City-based weather service.

David L. Murphy Jr., director of the White County Office of Emergency Management, said his biggest concern is weather conditions on the lesser traveled roads and overpasses.

"In the higher elevations, we could have up to 2 inches, so we're kind of monitoring that," he said.
Emergency management and public safety officials in Hall and White counties met Friday morning to go over emergency plans and review weather service information.

"We're just standing by to see what happens," Murphy said. "If you have to get out and travel, just be cautious, especially off the main roads and the bridges and overpasses."

Freezing temperatures could be more of a problem for people who have outdoor plants. "Some of those early spring flowering plants that have buds that have begun to swell -- there's maybe a little green showing on some of those buds -- can potentially be damaged," said Billy Skaggs, extension coordinator for Hall County.

"The other group of plants that can be knocked back a little bit by real cold weather are some perennials," he added, citing hostas, daylilies and black-eyed Susans as a few examples.

The good news is that a warming trend is expected to develop after today. The weather service is calling for the high temperature to be in the mid-50s on Sunday, with the low above freezing.

By Wednesday, the mercury could reach 66 and rain could return to the area by the end of the week.