ELLIJAY, Ga. – Gilmer County Schools have already posted to their home website and made public that they will be canceling school tomorrow, Tuesday, January 29, 2019, in anticipation of the coming winter weather event.

The School System noted that Governor Brian Kemp announced that all state offices will be closed Tuesday due to the approaching winter storm. They stated, “For the safety of our staff and students, Gilmer County Schools will follow suit and be closed for all staff and students on Tuesday, January 29, 2019.”

The County is marshaling against the storm as well as the Sheriff’s Office has also put out notices on social media anticipating the storm. Public Safety and Emergency Response officials are asking citizens to be safe in the coming weather event. Due to the extreme low temperatures and possible precipitation, ice is a very real responsibility on the roads.

Gilmer County Public Safety has also issued warnings to citizens about black ice and hazardous traveling conditions, sharing four major concern alerts through social media.

* Snow: Some accumulating snow is looking more likely across the higher elevations of north GA, along with some light accumulations extending generally along and north of the I-85 corridor, including the Atlanta Metro area.
* Black Ice: Regardless of what snowfall occurs, what is more certain is the temperatures quickly falling on the heels of the precipitation as the arctic airmass sets in, bringing the potential of black ice to any areas receiving rain or snow across both north and central GA.
* Gusty Winds: Winds will rapidly increase behind the cold front during the day Tuesday and persisting into Tuesday night. Expect northwest winds around 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.
* Wind Chills: The bitter cold temps and increased winds will result in wind chills dropping into the low to mid teens for most areas with single digits in the mountains.

Though most of the concern is focused now on Tuesday, officials are waiting to see just how bad the storm gets before making additional plans or closings for Wednesday on.

Make sure to follow FYN for updates from the county and school system as to any changes or additions to their official response.