The 'big thaw' settling in

GAINESVILLE - The "big thaw" is settling in over north Georgia after last week's snow and unseasonably cold weather.

For only the third time since New Year's night, lows in many parts of north Georgia were above freezing in Gainesville Monday night ending a string of nine straight nights of below-freezing readings.

That, combined with daytime temps which have finally climbed well-above freezing and the rain, is causing a quick melting of the snow and ice.

But, just like last January, unsually cold weather has been the norm across north Georgia since the new year arrived. Daytime highs and nighttime lows have been below normal on 10 days this month in Gainesville... sometimes 10 or 12 degrees off what we are used to.

But lots of ice remains on secondary roads in many places in north Georgia.