The National Weather Service Winter Storm Watch remains in effect for Cobb County, metro Atlanta, and other parts of north and central Georgia from Friday, Jan. 9, through Saturday morning.

Periods of snow, sleet and freezing rain are expected, with accumulations of 2-4 inches in the northern counties and up to 2 inches in metro Atlanta and eastward.

What is in the statement?

The statement gives the following details:

…WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH

SATURDAY MORNING…

* WHAT…Periods of snow, sleet, and freezing rain that could be

  heavy at times. Total snow and sleet accumulations of 2-4 inches

  in northern Georgia and up to 2 inches in metro Atlanta and points

  east. Ice accumulations up to two tenths of an inch are possible.

* WHERE…Portions of central, east central, north central,

  northeast, northwest, and west central Georgia.

* WHEN…From Friday morning through Saturday morning.

* IMPACTS…Plan on slippery road conditions, with travel likely

  becoming difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the

  Friday commute and linger into Saturday morning. The weight of ice

  on tree limbs and power lines could produce scattered power

  outages. Bridges and overpasses could become icy even if

  temperatures remain slightly above freezing.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this hazardous

situation. Any slight deviations in temperatures or track of the

weather system will result in changes for the precipitation type

forecast.

What counties are affected?

The following counties are included in the hazardous weather outlook:

Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Jackson, Jasper, Lumpkin, Madison, Morgan, Murray, Newton, North Fulton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Putnam, Rockdale, South Fulton, Spalding, Taliaferro, Towns, Union, Walker, Walton, White, Whitfield, Wilkes

With the following cities listed specifically:

Atlanta, Athens, Blairsville, Blue Ridge, Bremen, Calhoun, Carrollton, Cartersville, Cedartown, Chatsworth, Cleveland, Comer, Commerce, Conyers, Covington, Crawford, Crawfordville, Cumming, Dalton, Dallas, Dahlonega, Dawsonville, Decatur, Douglasville, East Point, Eatonton, Ellijay, Fort Oglethorpe, Franklin, Gainesville, Greensboro, Griffin, Hiawassee, Homer, Jackson, Jasper, LaFayette, Lawrenceville, Madison, Marietta, Monroe, Monticello, Newnan, Peachtree City, Riverdale, Rome, Stockbridge, Summerville, Trenton, Washington, Watkinsville, Winder, Woodstock

About the National Weather Service

The National Weather Service (NWS) is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The NWS describes its role as follows:

“The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, water, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. 

“These services include Forecasts and Observations, Warnings, Impact-based Decision Support Services, and Education in an effort to build a Weather-Ready Nation. The ultimate goal is to have a society that is prepared for and responds to weather, water and climate events.”