Rain and snow move out; now worries switch to black ice

ATLANTA — Severe Weather Team 2 reporters and meteorologists are monitoring metro Atlanta roads Friday morning as the temperature drops and there is a risk for black ice on the roads.

Meteorologist David Chandley found a slowdown on Interstate 575 in Cherokee County where some cars were on the side of the road and he believed there was some ice on the road.

Atlanta Police said a truck spun out on Interstate 20 before Lowery due to ice on the road.

All winter storm warnings for metro Atlanta were canceled Friday morning.

Light to moderate rain showers hit most of the metro area, and parts of upper north Georgia saw a few inches of snow early Thursday evening.

The forecast prompted early school dismissals in Gordon, Walker, Whitefield, Catoosa, Dade and Murray counties, along with Dalton City Schools. Forsyth, Fannin, Dawson, Dade, Gilmer, Habersham, Lumpkin, Catoosa, Banks, Murray, Union, Walker, White, Whitfield and Towns counties schools opened on a two-hour delay Friday.

Calhoun City Schools and Gordon County schools are closed Friday.

By 4 p.m. Thursday, there were already reports of sleet in eastern parts of Polk County. Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Glenn Burns said the rain-snow mix would continue moving in from northwestern Georgia, mainly north of Interstate 20, but would end later in the evening.

As the snow fell Thursday, it made even a simple walk to the store for cigarettes a challenging chore.

"It's rough, it is slick. I like it though, I enjoy it," said Cedric Owensby as he walked along the street in Tallapoosa.

He didn't like it enough to stay out very long. He said he was heading home quickly to go lay down after his venture into the snow.

Haralson County Fire Chief Brian Walker said he planned to be out on the roads by 3:30 a.m. Friday, looking for any dangerous spots.

"We know where it starts forming first and we'll check these places out. We'll know if the temperatures are at their lowest point. We will know pretty quick if we've got black ice or not," Walker said.

Burns said to expect temps to rise into the low 50s Friday. He is also predicting sunny skies and temperatures three to four degrees above normal for the weekend.

Stay with Severe Weather Team 2 for continuous updates throughout the day. We'll have updated forecasts beginning on Channel 2 Action News at Noon and 4.

Click here to download the Severe Weather Team 2 iPad app.

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WSBTV