UPDATE #2 (4:30 p.m.):
All Newton County Schools are to remained closed on Wednesday, Jan. 22 due to concerns about hazardous road conditions.
UPDATE #1 (2 p.m.):
The city of Covington canceled its city council meeting for tonight, as well as the accompanying HB 581 work session.
The Newton County Board of Commissioners meeting tonight has been canceled. The government offices and Judicial Center closed at 2 p.m. and the Superior Court will close at 3 p.m.
Oxford City Hall closed at 2 p.m. The city's work session on HB 581 is still set for tonight at 6:30 p.m., but it will be held via video call on Zoom. The meeting remains open to the public.
ORIGINAL STORY BELOW:
WEATHER UPDATE:
The U.S. National Weather Service Peachtree City Georgia posted updates on Facebook this morning. Yesterday, it appeared that Newton County might be just north of the winter weather system, but things shifted up overnight.
“The winter storm warning and winter weather advisories have pushed northward overnight as confidence increases in a more northward extent to the snowfall,” said the page’s 6:30 a.m. update. “Snowfall totals have also increased in central Georgia and this is where we have the highest confidence in totals leading to travel impacts. Road conditions will quickly deteriorate as snow begins to fall.”
As frigid air continues to descend on the state, most local municipalities are warning residents to protect the “four Ps” which are people, pets, pipes and plants.
Though The Weather Channel’s temperature forecast for Covington has not changed much since yesterday, the chance of wintry precipitation is up from 24 percent to 52 percent. But according to the U.S. National Weather Service Peachtree City Georgia, snowfall will likely not be visible until this afternoon.
“Radar this morning seems to show lots of snow across GA… ...but, a layer of dry air is currently causing most of this snow to dissipate before reaching the ground,” said a 9 a.m. update on Facebook. “However, this will change by afternoon as moistening occurs and more snow will reach the surface.”
MEETINGS/OFFICES UPDATE:
The regular Newton County Board of Education meeting remains postponed to an undetermined date. The 11 a.m. Board of Education public hearing on House Bill 581 will still take place in person, but it will be available to viewers online via livestream on the Newton County Schools YouTube channel.
The City of Covington said this morning that their normal operating hours are currently in place but are subject to change as the weather continues to develop. There have not currently been any changes made to the planned 6:30 p.m. city council meeting and the city’s 5:30 p.m. HB581 work session.
Mansfield City Hall is closed for the duration of Tuesday.
There have not been updates made available from Social Circle, Oxford or Porterdale about rescheduling planned meetings or closing city offices today.
The Newton County Board of Commissioners meeting also remains unchanged. The board’s regular meeting is set for 7 p.m. in the Historic Courthouse at 1124 Clark St. in Covington, but it is usually livestreamed on the Newton County Government YouTube channel.
