Sunshine in, flurries out of metro Atlanta

ATLANTA — Snow flurries were reported in metro Atlanta on Sunday morning but the white stuff won't stick around, according to Severe Weather Team 2.

Meteorologist Brad Nitz said the ground is too warm for the snow to accumulate, however, and roads are not expected to be icy.

Channel 2 Action News viewers shared photos of flurries falling in several areas, including Marietta, Smyrna, Riverdale and southwest Atlanta.

Nitz said the day will start off sunny, breezy and cold, with temperatures in the mid-20s and top out in the mid-40s.

Saturday, an inch or more of snow fell in part of north Georgia.

Emergency management officials in Fannin County reported accumulations of at least an inch, said Nitz.

Snow was also reported in Doraville, Dunwoody, Kennesaw, Marietta, Powder Springs, Roswell, and at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport at various times during the afternoon. The heaviest downfall, however, was farther north.

A light snow dusting lingered in the mountain counties. A crew tracking conditions in Severe Weather Chaser 2 saw snow accumulating on the side of the roads in Fannin, Gilmer and Union counties but there were no reports of slick spots on the roads.

"When I got up this morning and let the dog out (it was about) two and a half inches," Blue Ridge resident Tina Rice told Channel 2's Liz Artz.

She said it was so cold that her car door handles were frozen shut.

"I couldn't get in. Like, I couldn't get in," Rice said.

The scenery made for a special occasion for a 3-year-old Dunwoody girl who saw snow for the first time, the child's mother, Emily Jameson, told Channel 2's Alina Machado.

"It was like snow drops!," the girl said.

"I always get excited about seeing snow, because I'm from a country where the winter is white," Atlanta resident Petra Cermakova said.

Despite the scenery, North Georgia safety officials warn about road safety. So far, there have been no major weather-related incidents, but they urge drivers to stay off back roads, which should be clear after the weekend.

Monday will start sunny and cold, just below freezing, with a high of 57 degrees. But rain comes back Tuesday and is expected to dry up midweek.

Nitz said the weekend weather is unusal for this time of year.

"None of the next five days reaches our average high for the first part of March in the low 60s," he said.

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WSBTV