FILE - In this Jan. 29, 2014 file photo, taken with a fisheye lens looking south toward downtown Atlanta, the ice-covered interstate system shows the remnants of a winter snow storm, in Atlanta. The National Weather Service projects that up to an inch (2.5 centimeters) of snow is possible Tuesday in Atlanta, with up to 2 inches (5 centimeters) in far northern suburbs. Forecasters warn of the possibility of ice-glazed roads and highways. (AP Photo/David Tulis, File) ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta got a mere spritzing of rain Tuesday, hours after a winter weather forecast prompted authorities to close government offices, shutter schools and cancel flights in anticipation of icy streets. But the southern city could still see some traffic woes as fans arrive for the Super Bowl, with temperatures expected to drop more than 20 degrees during the day. Some snow fell Tuesday in Georgia's northwest corner, but it was sweater weather during Atlanta's morning commute. The shoes of office workers made crunching sounds on downtown sidewalks, where road salt caught the light from outdoor video boards set up for the Super Bowl and reflected shades of blue, red and green. Ultimately, precipitation from the storm front proved negligible for Atlanta, where it was about 50 degrees before dawn and was expected to reach the 20s by Tuesday evening, National Weather Service Meteorologist Sid King said. By mid-afternoon Tuesday, the weather service had canceled the winter weather advisory, but warned that black ice would still be possible Tuesday evening on Georgia roads. But Atlanta takes even a threat of icy weather seriously after enduring its infamous "snow jam" five years ago, when cars, trucks and school buses became marooned for hours on the southern city's freeways. Delta Air Lines "proactively" canceled about 170 flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, its main hub, the Atlanta-based airline announced late Monday. The Federal Aviation Administration warned of potential weather-related delays, particularly through Chicago and from Boston, as Super Bowl travel into Atlanta increases. Anticipating the storm, Gov. Brian Kemp announced the closure Tuesday of state offices in more than 30 counties across northern Georgia, saying "temperatures are going to plummet." Atlanta Public Schools closed its campuses, and other area districts followed suit. "It's very similar to what we saw in 2014 where the roadways will not have time to dry off before the moisture or precipitation on them refreezes," Kemp said Monday. "And that's when you have black ice, and that's what causes wrecks, which causes gridlock and public safety issues, injuries." Story continues Road crews sprayed liquid salt on north Georgia's major interstates, state routes and overpasses, including routes that the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams must use to travel to and from practice venues. About 1,900 employees were on call and more than 420 pieces of snow removal equipment were ready, the Georgia Department of Transportation said in a statement. Visiting Patriots fan Pamela Wales of Quincy, Massachusetts, said local television reminded her that Atlanta and ice don't mix well. "They were showing all kinds of pictures on TV from 2014 when everyone got stuck," Wales said as she toured Super Bowl exhibits at the Georgia World Congress Center. Patriots' coach Bill Belichick was holed up in the team's hotel downtown, and was oblivious to the weather conditions. "I haven't been outside of this building today," he said during a Tuesday afternoon news conference at the Hyatt Regency on Peachtree Street. "There could be 8 feet of snow out there, it could be 95 degrees — I have no idea." Sunday's Super Bowl will be played in downtown Atlanta in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and officials have promised to open its roof if weather permits. Tuesday's changing weather posed the more immediate concern for elected officials who had to decide based on Monday's forecasts whether to close offices and schools. "It is often easy to pass judgment on how we in Georgia deal with snow and ice, but for those from the north what you do know is that an ice event is very different than a snow event," Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Monday. Past Super Bowl weeks have been marred by wintry weather. The week before Green Bay defeated Pittsburgh in 2011, ice coated the roads in Arlington, Texas, and tumbled from the roof of Cowboys Stadium, hurting six workers on the ground. And in 2000, the St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans arrived in Atlanta shortly after an ice storm froze traffic. Both teams had to practice outdoors in the biting cold, since the Georgia Dome, later demolished, was being used for Super Bowl pregame and halftime rehearsals. The Rams wore winter jackets and thermal underwear. "It's ridiculous," Rams coach Dick Vermeil said at the time. "But there's nothing you can do about it except try to survive." ___ Associated Press Writer Ben Nadler contributed.<doc-sep>“As the front slides through and temps fall, there are a few flurries in our northwest suburbs but the opportunity for areas seeing rain to change to snow is ending,” she said. Falling temperatures and freezing roads remain the primary concerns later Tuesday, the news station reported. Winter weather advisory has been canceled for metro Atlanta and most of north Georgia. For now, just Rabun and Habersham counties remain under the advisory. pic.twitter.com/ZKXMnjb7pW — Brad Nitz (@BradNitzWSB) January 29, 2019 Channel 2 chief meteorologist Glenn Burns said he expects flurries to continue over the next few hours as the system moves out. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY has now been cancelled by the National Weather Service. I think we will see a few flurries as the precip moves out over the next 1-2 hours. — Glenn Burns (@GlennBurnsWSB) January 29, 2019 ORIGINAL STORY: While a cold rain is falling in much of metro Atlanta, some northern suburbs saw a brief wintry mix and even a few snowflakes as part of a system that could coat streets in ice, according to Channel 2 Action News. There were reports of snow in Dade, Fannin, Gilmer, Union and Walker counties, Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said. Temps are falling. Atlanta started near 50° early this AM, now in the low 40s (10AM). Most areas seeing rain. Jasper is now reporting snow and snow is falling in Fannin, Towns and Union counties. pic.twitter.com/Hcr5EHpP46 — Eboni Deon, WSB (@ebonideonWSB) January 29, 2019 A sleet/rain mix was reported in Cherokee County just before 10 a.m., and northern Cobb County experienced some light snow, according to Channel 2. A dusting in north Georgia so far with a little move light snow there. Still just a cold rain in metro Atlanta where a brief changeover to a wintry mix or light snow is possible over the next couple hours. Sleet/mix in Cherokee County recently. Live update on @wsbtv 10am pic.twitter.com/PK9o12md1n — Brad Nitz (@BradNitzWSB) January 29, 2019 Although Atlanta was still in the 40s at 10 a.m., Monahan said pavement temperatures are falling fast across North Georgia, down to the mid- to upper 30s over parts of Fannin and Gilmer. Pavement temps are falling fast over the north Georgia mountains as snow falls -- down to the mid to upper 30s now over parts of Fannin & Gilmer Counties @wsbtv #StormWatchon2 pic.twitter.com/nlpDeb5zu7 — Brian Monahan, WSB (@BMonahanWSB) January 29, 2019 Over the next couple of hours, cold air is expected to build in behind an arctic cold front now pushing through metro Atlanta, Channel 2 meteorologist Brad Nitz said. That air is just moving a little slower than the moisture out ahead of it. “As these temperatures dive, we'll have the back edge of this rain change over to a little wintry mix,” Nitz said. “As far as the accumulation in Atlanta, it is going to be very slim.” Areas along and north of a line from Carrollton to Marietta to Canton are most likely to see a dusting of snow. Earlier forecasts suggested trace amounts to up to an inch-and-a-half of snow was possible in parts of metro Atlanta. “Not going to see an inch-and-a-half,” Nitz said. “It’s going to be on the low end of that scale, toward the dusting.” Because things are warmer than expected Tuesday, the National Weather Service canceled a winter storm warning for more than a dozen far North Georgia counties. Winter weather advisories are now in effect for that region and for all of metro Atlanta until 7 p.m. Tuesday. RELATED: Winter weather watch, warning and advisory: What's the difference? WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY: All counties in blue are in the advisory with a chance of some light snow. Amounts will be low, maybe half an inch up to an inch. Rabun County is in WINTER STORM WARNING, pink, that area could get 1"-2" of snow. pic.twitter.com/8UhylvM9Mt — Karen Minton (@KarenMintonWSB) January 29, 2019 A winter storm warning remains in effect for Rabun County, where total snow accumulations of up to 2 inches are expected, according to the Weather Service. “The bottom line is: Very little additional snow here over the next few hours,” Nitz said. “We are going to quickly change our focus to two things: how quickly the pavement dries this afternoon and this evening, and how quickly those road surface temperatures drop down below freezing as this cold air rushes in.” Just put this together and showed it on TV -- main impacts from wintry weather today will be over the north Georgia mountains -- and even there this is not a big weather event. There will be some slick travel in spots. Updating the forecast live now. pic.twitter.com/wzQJIGCI0S — Brian Monahan, WSB (@BMonahanWSB) January 29, 2019 With the threat of snow and wintry weather shutting down schools and government offices Tuesday, traffic was “lighter than normal” on metro Atlanta interstates, WSB traffic reporter Mark Arum said. “Look at all the green map,” he said. “How often do you see that?” RELATED: Georgia DOT treats roads as winter weather approaches The State Road and Tollway Authority was still expected to close the I-75 express lanes in Clayton and Henry counties in both directions at 11 a.m. The agency will close express lanes on I-75 and I-575 in Cobb and Cherokee counties at 11:30 a.m. They will be closed until further notice. In addition, SRTA has canceled the state’s Xpress bus service Tuesday. TRANSIT/TRAVEL options limited today. Due to the weather forecast, @Xpressga service suspended today. #NWExpressLanes & #SouthMetroExpressLanes close at 11:30 a.m. & 11 respectively. #ATLtraffic — AJC WSB Traffic (@ajcwsbtraffic) January 29, 2019 GDOT spokeswoman Natalie Dale said Tuesday the agency will wait until the storm hits metro Atlanta to decide when to reopen the lanes. MORE: Some metro Atlanta express lanes to close ahead of winter weather While Monahan anticipates the most significant travel impacts for far North Georgia, he is still urging drivers to use caution when hitting the roads Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, when temperatures are expected to plummet. Winter weather impacts will be LOW overall today around metro Atlanta with only light amounts of mix/snow later this morning. There will be a threat of black ice tonight/tomorrow morning. #StormWatchon2 pic.twitter.com/Jo1nYzhyvv — Brian Monahan, WSB (@BMonahanWSB) January 29, 2019 North Georgia could be waking up to temps in the teens and low 20s on Wednesday, Monahan said, meaning any lingering moisture on the roads has the potential to freeze and create patches of ice. ALSO: Georgia roads could freeze later as frigid temperatures roll in Black ice is also a concern for the Tuesday evening commute as the arctic air moves in and temperatures come down, especially for secondary, untreated roads, he said. “I think in town, inside the Perimeter, it’s not going to be bad today,” Monahan said. “I know a lot of schools closed out of an abundance of caution. Overall, around town, I don’t expect any significant travel issues today.” Paul Schuster loaded brine into two 2,500-gallon tanks on a flat bed trailer as GDOT crews prepare for distribution on the roads Tuesday morning. The forecast calls for the morning rain to possibly turn into snow. (Photo by Phil Skinner) Credit: PHIL SKINNER Credit: PHIL SKINNER Crews applied more than 140,000 gallons of brine to metro Atlanta highways. Dale said interstates were covered, and the agency was focused on other state highways. RELATED: Georgia DOT treats roads as winter weather approaches Many metro Atlanta schools and businesses are closed Tuesday, including state offices. City of Atlanta, Cobb County, DeKalb County and Fulton County government offices are also closed. RELATED: Kemp and Bottoms tell some employees to stay home as icy weather nears MORE: Georgia Senate cancels Tuesday session under threat of winter weather, House expected to meet Students in Atlanta, Clayton County, Cobb County, Decatur, DeKalb County, Fulton County, Gwinnett County and Marietta will not be headed to classes, as well as in several other North Georgia school districts. Arctic cold front moves through then the wind picks up -- that means we're talking about cold wind chills later! Updating that part of the forecast live on Channel 2 at 4:49am on @wsbtv #StormWatchon2 pic.twitter.com/YWFEuJYR2v — Brian Monahan, WSB (@BMonahanWSB) January 29, 2019 “We’re seeing the coldest air in many years across the northern part of the country,” Monahan said. “Fortunately that’s staying to the north. We're getting a little piece of that here in North Georgia.” North Georgia is expected to stay cold Thursday and Friday morning, according to the latest forecast. Then it’s back to the 50s for the weekend. “Just rain showers in the forecast for Super Bowl Sunday,” Monahan said. “It’s going to be mild, with temperatures in the mid-50s.” » For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter. » Download The Atlanta Journal-Constitution app for weather alerts on-the-go.<doc-sep>
RELATED: Winter weather watch, warning and advisory: What's the difference? Here are the updated advisories. What to know now: This is NOT a major snow event, but it will cause some travel disruptions tomorrow (and likely into Wednesday morning) in spots -- mainly in the NW metro and mountains. There will be a band of mix/snow moving through in the AM. pic.twitter.com/DkU3hqrPeM — Brian Monahan, WSB (@BMonahanWSB) January 28, 2019 Portions of North and Middle Georgia — including Cherokee, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Gwinnett and Fulton counties — will be under a winter weather advisory from 3 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday, according to the NWS. “Total snow accumulations of up to one-and-a-half inches are expected, mainly along and north of line from Carrollton to Marietta to Canton,” the Weather Service said in an advisory. “Lesser amounts of snow are likely right along the I-85 corridor.” Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said Tuesday will be “brutal with the temperatures and the wind,” even though the wintry mix is supposed to end by lunchtime. MORE: Winter storm watch issued for start of Super Bowl week Coldest air of the season arrives tomorrow night into Wed morning. These are actual air temps without the wind! #StormWatchOn2 pic.twitter.com/XxuctDQCvT — Glenn Burns (@GlennBurnsWSB) January 28, 2019 Maybe even more concerning than accumulating snow are subfreezing temps and hazardous driving conditions behind the front, according to Channel 2. Temperatures shouldn’t escape the 30s Tuesday. Nitz warned drivers that “there absolutely will be slick spots on the roads,” mostly in northwest Georgia and the northern metro counties. Atlanta Public Works crews started treating some roads and bridges Sunday, and Georgia Department of Transportation brine trucks are hitting the roads Monday night, according to the agency. What to expect around north Georgia Tuesday... #StormWatchon2 pic.twitter.com/XZCJbGRoLG — Eboni Deon, WSB (@ebonideonWSB) January 28, 2019 With gusty winds of 20 to 25 mph expected, Minton said it could feel more like the teens outside Tuesday evening. Monahan does not expect much melting through the day Wednesday, and secondary and untreated roads will be tough. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said the city is paying special attention to sidewalks in heavily trafficked areas, including at Centennial Olympic Park and the Georgia World Congress Center where Super Bowl pregame events are underway. Zoo Atlanta will be closed Tuesday. And the first set of brine trucks are headed out! Thank you @ga_dps for your assistance! pic.twitter.com/3XFMaKn1by — Georgia DOT (@GADeptofTrans) January 29, 2019 To help battle the chilly temperatures, the city of Atlanta opened emergency warming centers at the Old Adamsville Recreation Center at 3404 Delmar Lane and the Central Park Recreation Center at 400 Merrits Avenue and will keep them open until Thursday morning. Delta Air Lines is warning that the wintry weather could disrupt flights at its Atlanta hub, the airline's largest, Tuesday and Wednesday. Delta is allowing travelers with flights booked to, from or through Atlanta for Jan. 29 or 30 to make a change to their travel plans without paying a change fee. RELATED: Delta warns winter storm could disrupt Atlanta flights Bottoms said Monday there have been no other decisions made regarding the airport. This storm could be reminiscent of a minor snowstorm that shut down Atlanta five years ago, but Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said Atlanta is not quite "looking at a situation like that." The anniversary of Snow Jam 2014 was Monday. Gov. Brian Kemp announced during a news conference Monday that state offices will be closed Tuesday for non-essential personnel in 35 Georgia counties. His office will continue to monitor road conditions and could close offices Wednesday. RELATED: Kemp and Bottoms tell some employees to stay home as icy weather nears MORE: Georgia Senate cancels Tuesday session under threat of winter weather, House expected to meet City of Atlanta, Cobb County, DeKalb County and Fulton County government offices will be closed Tuesday. The other city government offices that will be closed Tuesday include Acworth, Chamblee, Clarkston, Doraville, Dunwoody, East Point, Hapeville, Johns Creek, Kennesaw, Marietta, Roswell, Sandy Springs, South Fulton, Smyrna and Union City. Villa Rica delayed opening until 10 a.m. “We certainly understand that businesses and families affected by these closures will have to make accommodations on short notice,” Kemp said. “I can assure you that we will continue to issue regular updates through all official channels.” IN-DEPTH: Pre-Super Bowl storm is early test for Kemp Kemp encouraged drivers to remain off the roads Tuesday and Wednesday if conditions remain icy or dangerous.