Newton County is ready in the case of snowfall later this week on parts of north and central Georgia.
According to information released from National Weather Service Wednesday afternoon, “forecaster confidence is increasing for wintry participation across the region.” A rain/snow mix is expected late Thursday night and into early Friday morning northwest of Atlanta with the heaviest snowfall expected Friday night through Saturday morning.
Newton County’s public works department has been preparing equipment throughout the week to keep area roads safe in case of snowfall.
Equipment ready for a possible 2017 winter storm include:
- 5 light trucks or Quick Response Units
- 2 heavy salt/sand trucks
- 3 plows on standby
- 1,000 gallons of brine mixture
In addition to the equipment, Newton County will staff 24 public works personnel with crew available 24 hours a day to help keep Newton County’s roads navigable.
“The public works department has made all of the necessary arrangements to be ready for any inclement weather that may come our way,” Newton County Manager Lloyd Kerr said. “We have crews standing at the ready should the roads become icy or if there were to be snow.”
How and where the county will deploy its equipment will depend on an ever-changing forecast, which Wednesday afternoon predicted a total of 2- to 3-inches of total snow in Newton County from Thursday evening through Saturday Morning. Temperatures are expected to drop to 31 degrees in Newton County Friday night and get to as low as 21 degrees Saturday night.
The National Weather Service, however, says the snowfall numbers are likely to change as the winter storm approaches.
Newton County officials will participate in another briefing with the National Weather Service Thursday morning.
