According to the National Weather Service:
- "Black ice and slick spots are possible on roadways early Tuesday morning”
- Especially on bridges and overpasses between 5-10 a.m. on Tuesday
- A brief mix of rain with sleet and snow, or brief period of freezing rain, is also possible just before the rain ends early Tuesday morning. Little or no accumulation is expected at that time.
FORSYTH COUNTY -- Freezing rain and ice have been met with power outages and fallen tree limbs as Forsyth County was issued a winter storm warning Monday night.
While no major accidents have occurred through the late Monday hours, temperatures are expected to drop further before rising in the morning.
Stay tuned for updates on blocked roads due to trees, debris and/or power lines, as well as other areas handled by the county’s Emergency Operations Center, which is running throughout the night:
-- Feb. 17, 12:30 a.m.: 30,500 reported without power across the county (25,000 from Sawnee EMC and 5,500 from Georgia Power).
-- Feb. 16, 11:30 p.m.: 26,500 are without power throughout the county (22,000 from Sawnee EMC and 4,500 from Georgia Power).
-- Feb. 16, 11 p.m.: The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office received reports of 30 closed roads from trees and power lines (15 current), according to Doug Rainwater, a spokesman for the agency. The majority of the affected roads are in the north end of the county, he said, though some power is out and roadways are blocked in south Forsyth, too.
* Peachtree Parkway at Bridle Ridge subdivision (closed)
* Browns Bridge was affected, though was not completely shut down
* Keith Bridge Road at Parks Road (shut down)
* Ga. 400 at Keith Bridge Road
* Bentley at Post roads
* Castleberry Road at Ravine Forest
* Turner Road at Rising Mist Lane
* Chattahoochee at Adams roads
* Gravitt at Spot roads
* Bettis-Tribble Gap Road (completely closed)
* Bethelview Road at Drew Road (power lines)
The sheriff’s office has sent out four teams with chainsaws to clear debris, Rainwater said.
Two patrol cars have been hit by falling limbs. No one was injured.
Transformers have been catching fire throughout the county, but the fire department has currently contained them.
Reports have come in of “several homes with trees fallen against them or on the roof.” Four homes in total have been affected so far, with no injuries.
Four vehicle accidents have been called in due to rain, although no injuries have been serious. Two occurred on Canton Highway.
Two accidents involved trees falling in cars, Rainwater said. One was in the north and one in the south part of the county. No injuries were reported.