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Snow, sleet, freezing rain may be on way to Forsyth area Monday
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* Winter weather tips, contacts.

FORSYTH COUNTY -- The Forsyth County area may have some icy weather Monday morning, but the event may be short-lived thanks to a warming trend expected to push afternoon temperatures well above freezing.

 

It won’t affect schools, however, as the Forsyth County school system was not scheduled to be in session due to the Presidents' Day holiday.

 

Forecasters earlier called for colder temperatures, with a threat of freezing rain Monday night. But that has changed, with a wintry mix in the mid-morning turning to rain by afternoon that could last into Tuesday.

 

The wintry mix could be sleet and a slight amount of frozen rain, but then the temperature could rise to the upper 40s later in the day, said forecaster Carly Kovacik with the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City.

 

“We’re really not expecting too many travel impacts with this, because it looks like the time period of mixed precipitation should be fairly [short] without any accumulation of freezing rain or sleet,” Kovacik said.

 

She added, however, that she is concerned about ice forming on roadways Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

Otherwise, “we’ll be on the back side of this system by Tuesday morning,” Kovacik said.

 

Also, “we can’t rule out some snow flurries early Tuesday going into Wednesday, but we’re not expecting any accumulations for [the Forsyth area],” she said.

 

Farther north in the mountains, the weather could be more dicey but not as severe as forecasters were calling for a couple of days ago.

 

Predictions of 4-5 inches of snow have been downgraded to -2 inches.

 

“We are concerned about some freezing rain accumulations up there,” Kovacik said. “Some isolated areas could get just more than a quarter of an inch.”

 

The weather agency has issued a winter weather advisory that’s in effect through 7 a.m. Tuesday.

 

Georgia Department of Transportation crews will start working 12-hour shifts at midnight as needed to prepare for and battle any inclement winter weather that may hit the area.

 

With the first priority being interstates and busy state routes, the work will continue “until road conditions are safe and winter precipitation is over,” GDOT district spokeswoman Teri Pope said.

 

DOT officials will watch forecasts and “change our response plan if needed,” she said.

 

Pope advised motorists to check road conditions before taking trips.

 

“Also, check conditions for your entire route,” she said.