SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT: Brief winter weather possible across N. Ga. Thursday

UNDATED - The National Weather Service says a brief winter weather episode is possible across North Georgia Thursday afternoon and evening, including snow showers and black ice.

The details of the weather statement are as follows:

BRIEF WINTER WEATHER POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING, BLACK ICE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL GEORGIA
THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING.

A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE STATE ON THURSDAY. AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM,A DEEP SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL SPREAD AMPLE GULF MOISTURE NORTHWARD,RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD RAIN ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. AS THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO THE CAROLINAS THURSDAY AFTERNOON, A DEEP COLD AIR MASS WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD INTO THE AREA FROM WEST TO EAST THURSDAY WITH
TEMPERATURES GENERALLY FALLING THROUGH THE DAY.

RAIN IS EXPECTED TO MIX WITH AND CHANGE OVER TO SNOW OR A SNOW/SLEET MIX ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH GEORGIA THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DESPITE WARM GROUNDS FROM RECENT UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES,THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS PARTS OF THE NORTHWEST GEORGIA MOUNTAINS
DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS ON THURSDAY,AND PARTS OF THE NORTHEAST GEORGIA MOUNTAINS THURSDAY EVENING. ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT,LESS THAN ONE HALF INCH,AND WOULD BE MAINLY OVER ELEVATED AND GRASSY SURFACES.

ALTHOUGH LIGHT SNOW COULD BE SEEN AS FAR SOUTH AS THE NORTH ATLANTA METRO AREA,NO ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED OUTSIDE OF THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE MOUNTAINS. AT THIS TIME, NO WIDESPREAD TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES ARE EXPECTED WITH THE INITIAL SNOWFALL THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

OF GREATER CONCERN HOWEVER IS THE POTENTIAL FOR PATCHES OF BLACK ICE DEVELOPING ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES FROM LATE THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH MID FRIDAY MORNING AS TEMPERATURES FALL BELOW FREEZING. NORTHWEST WINDS BETWEEN 10 TO 15 MPH WILL HELP TO DRY ROADS OFF AS THE PRECIPITATION EXITS THURSDAY EVENING,BUT THIS
WILL LIKELY NOT HAPPEN QUICKLY ENOUGH TO ELIMINATE THE BLACK ICE POTENTIAL. THE POTENTIAL FOR BLACK ICE EXISTS AS FAR SOUTH AS A COLUMBUS TO GREENSBORO LINE. HOWEVER THE GREATEST THREAT REMAINS IN PORTIONS OF NORTH AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA AS TEMPERATURES WILL FALL TO BELOW FREEZING NEAR MIDNIGHT THURSDAY NIGHT.

The following north Georgia counties may be affected by the winter weather:

Fannin, Gilmer, Union, Towns, Pickens, Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Cherokee, Forsyth, Hall, Banks, Jackson, North Fulton, Gwinnett, Barrow, Clarke

A number of other counties across north and central Georgia may also feel the effects of this weather system.