Let It Snow!
The snow starting falling Friday morning in the CSRA with most areas reporting sleet as well.
With temperatures hovering right around the freezing mark, some school systems that had announced Thursday they would operate on normal schedules today wound up changing their minds.
Due to the possibility of hazardous driving conditions, most schools are either closed or will dismiss students early today.
Schools that are closed today:
- Aiken County (students that had already been picked up by buses this morning were taken back home)
- Lincoln County
- Jefferson County
- SAIL Charter School
- Augusta Tech
- Augusta University
- Georgia Military College
- Paine College
- USC Aiken (transitioned to remote operations. In-person events scheduled through noon Saturday have been postponed)
E-Learning:
- Edgefield County
- McCormick County
- McDuffie County
- Washington County
Early Release:
Richmond County: Students will be released 2 hours early
Columbia County: Middle school students will now be released at 10:30 am; High school at 10:35 am; and Elementary at 11:25 am. Grab-and-go lunches will be available for students before they leave.
Local Government Offices Closing Early
Columbia County Offices will close at noon today, Friday. That includes the Board of Commissioners, Tax Commissioner, Columbia County Sheriff’s Administration, Clerk of Court, All Courts and the District Attorney’s office. In addition, all Columbia County Libraries, including Evans, Grovetown and Harlem Libraries, will also close at noon.
Richmond County Offices will close at noon today. Augusta Transit bus services have been suspended until further notice. The Augusta Landfill is closed. Trash collection service for today has been suspended. Conditions will be evaluated Saturday for possible pick-up then, otherwise services will resume on Monday.
To report hazardous conditions such as icy roads, fallen branches or other weather-related concerns, call Augusta 311.
Let It Snow Means Plowing Will Begin
The Georgia Department of Transportation is in the process of plowing I-20 in east-central Georgia.
Crews in Augusta will begin plowing Bobby Jones Expressway and I-20 from mile marker 138 to the South Carolina state line. Crews are also salting bridges as they drive their routes. GDOT officials say plowing helps prevent accumulation.
“We ask drivers in affected areas to limit travel as much as possible. If you must travel, please give Georgia DOT crews room and space on the roads to help ensure they can do their jobs,” said District Two Communications Will Volk.
Latest Forecast Information for the CSRA
A winter storm warning is in effect until 4 am Saturday for Columbia, Richmond, Aiken, and McDuffie Counties. Heavy mixed precipitation is expected with snow and sleet accumulations up to one to two inches in the Augusta Metro. Ice accumulations between one tenth and two tenths of an inch with the second wave of precipitation this evening.
A winter storm warning is in effect until 7 am Saturday for Lincoln, McCormick, Newberry, Edgefield, and Saluda Counties.
Additional snow and sleet accumulations up to two inches this morning and sleet accumulations up to two inches this morning. Ice accumulations between two tenths and three tenths of an inch.
Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice. Travel could be nearly impossible. Hazardous conditions could impact the Friday evening commute.
