Special Weather Statement for Far North Georgia
Community January 5, 2022Closings and Delays : Friday, Feb. 21
Community, News, Rebel's Corner February 20, 2020CLOSED
- Fannin County Health Department
- Fannin County School System
DELAY
- Fannin County Courthouse – 2 hour delay
- Fannin County Department of Family and Children Services (DFACS) – will open at 10:00 a.m.
- Fannin County Public Library – will open at 11:00 a.m.
- Blue Ridge City Hall – will open at 10:00 a.m.
POSTPONED
- Fannin County Special Olypmics – Bowling postponed to Friday, Feb. 28
Conditions worsen during winter storm
Community, News February 8, 2020Blue Ridge, Ga. – Conditions are quickly worsening as a Winter Storm moves through our area.
Snow began to fall in Fannin County early this morning and is expected to continue throughout most of the day.
The Fannin County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) sent out a Nixle Alert at 9:03 a.m. warning drivers to stay off of roadways if at all possible.
Roads are extremely slick with ice under snow. Please stay in if at all possible.
Road crews are working to clear roads but at this time most roads are extremely slick due to snow and ice. Wet pavement under the snow has turned to ice in many areas throughout the county.
Fannin County EMA Director Robert Graham updated FYN on the conditions in our area.
“The pavement was wet when the snow started falling, so the wet areas on our roadways have turned to ice,” Graham explained the situation.
Graham went on to say that he is in contact with Public Works Director Zack Ratcliff: “Zack has crews out now and they are working as fast as they can to try to clear the roads.”
Public Works crews are out on roads throughout the county scraping and salting, but with the ice forming underneath the snow it will be much more difficult to get roads cleared.
According to Graham there are several vehicular wrecks in our area with many of these being along Highway 5. Graham was unsure of the severity of all the accidents at this time, but did state that the majority of wrecks have been people sliding off the roadways and into ditches.
“Many of the roads have become or are becoming impassable,” Graham said, adding, “We are having to shut some of them down.”
Graham urges residents to please stay off the roadways at this time and allow crews to try to clear as much as possible.
FYN will bring your updates throughout the day as they become available.
Flash Flood Watch in effect for much of north Georgia
Community, Weather February 10, 2020BLUE RIDGE, Ga – The National Weather Service (NWS) has placed Fannin County under a Flash Flood Watch through Tuesday, Feb. 11 evening.
The watch was issued at 11:41 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 10.
…FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING… The National Weather Service in Peachtree City has issued a Flash Flood Watch for much of north Georgia…generally north of a Franklin to Jonesboro to Athens line. Through Tuesday evening, the first round of heavy rain will be moving in this afternoon and continue through midday Tuesday. Two to four inches of rain is expected with local amounts approaching six inches.
With saturated soil and very high stream flow, runoff from the heavy rain will be enhanced, leading to a greater threat of flash flooding. Flash flooding and minor to moderate flooding of larger creeks and rivers is expected. This will close some roads and could flood homes and businesses in flood-prone areas. Along larger creeks and rivers, flooding could last for several days.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation. You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
This replaces the Flood Watch issued for much of north Georgia.
The following counties are included in the watch:
Dade-Walker-Catoosa-Whitfield-Murray-Fannin-Gilmer-Union-Towns- Chattooga-Gordon-Pickens-Dawson-Lumpkin-White-Floyd-Bartow- Cherokee-Forsyth-Hall-Banks-Jackson-Madison-Polk-Paulding-Cobb- North Fulton-Gwinnett-Barrow-Clarke-Oconee-Haralson-Carroll- Douglas-South Fulton-DeKalb-Rockdale-Walton-Clayton- Including the cities of Calhoun, Dahlonega, Cleveland, Rome, Cartersville, Gainesville, Marietta, Atlanta, Lawrenceville, Athens, Carrollton, Douglasville, East Point, Decatur, and Conyers.
Due to Potential Winter Weather, Gov. Kemp Closes State Offices
Community January 28, 2019
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Weather Summary for 2018
Community, Outdoors January 28, 2019Weather Summary for 2018
By: Eddie Ayers, County Extension Agent
Back in December and already this year there’s been a lot of talk about how wet it’s been in the last year and while I agree with the comments I’ve been getting, I thought I’d do a little investigating and use facts to report on the weather of 2018. My data is coming from the UGA AEMN area weather stations.
The Automated Environmental Monitoring Network (AEMN) in Georgia was established in 1991 by the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The objective of the AEMN is to collect reliable weather information for agricultural and environmental applications. Each station monitors air temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, solar radiation, wind speed, wind direction, soil temperature at 2, 4, and 8 inch depths, atmospheric pressure, and soil moisture every 1 second. Data are summarized at 15 minute intervals and at midnight a daily summary is calculated. A microcomputer at the Georgia Experiment Station initiates telephone calls to each station periodically and downloads the recorded data. The data are processed immediately and disseminated via the internet at www.weather.uga.edu.
We are fortunate to have three reporting stations in our area. They are Hillcrest Orchards in Ellijay, Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge and the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center in Blairsville. For the purpose of this article, data has been averaged, but you can visit the web site and get more details and up to the minute weather.
Since rain has been the topic of conversation lately, let’s look at that first. In Blairsville, the total rainfall for 2018 was 76.01 inches and there were 164 rainy days. In Blue Ridge, the rainfall was 74.89 inches and 185 rainy days. In Ellijay there was 79.12 inches of rain and 168 rainy days. The average for our area is around 62 inches, but the statistic that stands out is the number of rainy days. During rainy days the plants did not receive good sunlight and that affects plant growth.
In looking at the month of December in 2018 Blairsville received 10.96 inches of rain and 17 rainy days. Blue Ridge received 11.21 inches of rain and 17 rainy days. Ellijay received 10.92 inches of rain and 17 rainy days. This may seem like a lot of rain, but back in 2015 Blairsville got 13.35 inches of rain with 13 rainy days. Blue Ridge got 16.57 inches of rain with 16 rainy days. Ellijay got 16.04 inches of rain with 17 rainy days. 2015 was not that long ago, but it seems we have gotten more rain lately. It might be the number of rainy days that is making us think we are getting more rain that we actually are getting.
As for temperatures the average maximum temperature in Blairsville was 68.53 and the minimum was 47.26. The overall average was 57.23 which is about normal, but the number of days below 32 was 761 which is up from before, but below 2015. In Blue Ridge the average maximum temperature was 68.12 and the minimum was 48.46 and the overall average was 57.59, which is also about normal. The number of days below 32 was 699 which is up from before, but also below 2015. In Ellijay the average maximum temperature was 69.17 and the minimum was 48.81 with an overall average of 58.48 which is about normal. The number of days below 32 was 625 which is above earlier years except for 2015.
In conclusion the UGA weather stations are a great resource for information that provide facts about our weather conditions and now when people ask if it’s ever been this wet, you have the facts to say yes. If you need more information or different facts, visit the website and explore, or contact me in the Gilmer County UGA Extension office.
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Rain expected to produce possible flooding through New Years
News December 27, 2018HIAWASSEE, Ga. – The National Weather Service issued an Flash Flood Watch which will take effect this evening, Thursday, Dec. 27, and a current Wind Advisory for north Georgia counties across FYN’s area of coverage.
Between Thursday evening through Saturday morning, light rain will move into the state Thursday, becoming moderate to heavy across most of north and central Georgia Thursday night. The heavy rain will persist into Friday before tapering off Friday night. Total rainfall of 1.5 to 3 inches is expected through Saturday morning with isolated higher amounts likely.
A second round of precipitation is expected to develop on Saturday, with an additional 1-2 inches of rain possible through New Year’s Eve.
A Wind Advisory is in effect for portions of north Georgia through 7 a.m. Friday morning, with sustained winds 10 to 20 mph, with gusts to 40 mph possible. The strongest gusts are expected across the higher elevations and ridgetops. With already saturated soils, strong winds could down trees and power lines.
Soil conditions remain highly moist and river levels remain elevated across the area. Even a relatively small amount of rainfall will produce significant runoff and flooding of creeks and rivers. Once the rain ends, high water could persist for several days after.
Public Health District and County Health Departments Closed on Tuesday, January 29th
Announcements January 28, 2019For Immediate Release
January 28, 2019
Public Health District and County Health Departments Closed on Tuesday, January 29th
Due to predicted winter weather conditions, North Georgia Health District 1-2, based in Dalton, and Health Departments and public health services in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties will be CLOSED on Tuesday, January 29, 2019. All further updates will be provided and posted to our website at www.nghd.org and on our social media sites at facebook.com/NGaHealth, twitter.com/NGAHealthDist,instagram.com/northgahealth.
UPDATE: Winter Storm Inga incoming, early release for schools, county offices
News January 15, 2018PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. – UPDATE: The impending threat of a fast-moving winter storm has prompted Fannin County Schools to issue a three-hour early release of students at all schools within the system Tuesday, Jan. 16, according to the Fannin County Schools information hotline.
In addition, all Fannin County Government, Blue Ridge City Government, and McCaysville City Government offices will close at 3 p.m. this afternoon and will delay opening Wednesday, Jan. 17, until 10 a.m. due to expected snow.
The tail of an Alberta clipper is expected to impact parts of north Georgia and the surrounding region as early as tomorrow afternoon, bringing with it up to an inch of snow and bitter cold temperatures. The winter storm named Inga has prompted the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia, to issue a winter weather advisory for north Georgia.
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
2:25 PM EST Mon Jan 15 2018
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TUESDAY TO 7 AM
EST WEDNESDAY…* WHAT…Snow expected along with very cold wind chill values.
Total snow amounts of around 1 inch with isolated higher amounts
in the mountains. Wind chill values will drop the single digits
Tuesday evening, and to zero to 5 below after midnight Tuesday
night.* WHERE…Much of north Georgia generally along and north of a
line from Cedartown to Jasper to Hiawassee.* WHEN…From 10 AM Tuesday to 7 AM EST Wednesday.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Light snow will develop across northwest
Georgia late Tuesday morning and spread across the rest of north
Georgia Tuesday afternoon. The snow is expected to end Tuesday
night, however strong northwest winds will be dropping wind
chill values to dangerous levels.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A Winter Weather Advisory for snow means periods of snow will
cause primarily travel difficulties. Be prepared for snow covered
roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving.
Also, cold wind chills as low as 5 below zero will cause
frostbite in as little as 30 minutes to exposed skin.
In Fannin County Monday morning, road crews were anticipating for what could be another crippling winter weather threat. Zack Ratcliff, director of Public Works, stated the county has 300 tons of salt at the garage on Aska Road and all available trucks are mounted and ready to treat county roads.
“Everything is pretty much ready to go, and right now, we’re just watching the weather,” Ratcliff said Monday of his crews’ readiness for the weather event.
Fannin County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Robert Graham also shared similar confidence in the county emergency personnel’s readiness for a possible weather event and abilities of the county’s emergency vehicles and equipment.
Continue to follow FetchYourNews for up-to-date advisories, watches or warnings from the National Weather Service as well as school, office and business closings and delays announced throughout the county.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
Winter weather on the way tonight
News January 12, 2018PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. – Today’s rain is predicted to turn to snow later evening as temperatures are expected to drop quickly with an approaching cold front. As a result, the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia, has issued a special weather statement for north Georgia and the surrounding region.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
3:56 AM EST Fri Jan 12 2018
…Slick Roadways Possible Friday Night Due to Light Wintry Mix
and Black Ice…On the back side of a storm system that will bring showers and
thunderstorms to the area today, cold air will rush in during the
evening hours. Over portions of North Georgia, just enough
precipitation will hang on to allow for a brief transition to
light sleet and snow showers along and north of a Rome to
Blairsville line. Accumulations in this region will be light
averaging only a dusting to a couple tenths of an inch.
Elsewhere, over West Central GA and a good portion of the Atlanta
metro, only a brief period of snow flurries are anticipated with
no accumulations.Of more concern for all areas under this special weather statement
will be the residual wet roadways that may freeze into the
overnight hours with the rapid temperature drop expected.
Elevated winds will help to dry out some roadways but wind
sheltered locations and normally prone elevated surfaces could
experience black ice making for hazardous travel conditions late
Friday evening through Saturday morning.
Please continue to follow FetchYourNews for updated coverage of this impending winter storm.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
Fannin County Schools – Early release due to weather
Community, Rebel's Corner January 16, 2018The Fannin County School System is closely monitoring today’s weather. The National Weather Service webinar held this morning at 4:00 a.m.indicated the winter weather is expected to arrive in our area by 4:00 p.m. School will be in session today; however, in the interest of safety, all Fannin County Schools will have a 3-hour early release.
In addition, all after school activities are cancelled today (Tuesday), January 16
*UPDATED* School Closings Due to Severe Weather Conditions
News September 11, 2017- Union County Schools will be CLOSED Monday, September 11th and Tuesday, September 12th due to Gov. Nathan Deal declaring a state of emergency for all 159 counties in Georgia. Please continue to monitor here for further updates.
- Fannin County Schools will be closed for students and all personnel on Monday, September 11 and Tuesday, September 12, for students, as well as all faculty and staff, except for 12-month personnel, district directors, and principals. As long as it is safe to do so, all 12-month personnel, as well as district directors and principals, should anticipate reporting by 9:00 a.m. on September 12. These personnel should note, though, that this expectation may be revised, depending on the weather conditions overnight; nonetheless, if you ever believe it is unsafe to report, please notify your immediate supervisor. In addition, the Board of Education work session meeting that was scheduled for 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 12, has been cancelled. Please continue to stay safe!
- Pickens County Schools closed Monday, September 11th – TWELVE MONTH EMPLOYEES REPORT AT NORMAL TIME. Schools will also be closed on Tuesday, September 12. Twelve month employees will be contacted late Monday as to whether they will be required to come to work on Tuesday. All school activities, including athletic events and after-school programs, will be canceled.
- Gilmer County Schools will be closed Monday, September 11th and Sepember 12th due to Hurricane Irma. We have made this decision after consultation with local emergency management authorities and careful consideration of safety factors, such as the probability of severe winds especially at higher elevations, debris, dangerous road conditions and downed power lines left in its wake. Only 12 month staff should report if safe to do so.
- Dawson County Schools will be closed on Monday, September 11, and Tuesday, September 12, 2017. Twelve month employees will operate on a 2 hour delay.
- Lumpkin County Schools closed due to the weather forecast for our area, Lumpkin County Schools will be closed on Monday, September 11, and Tuesday, September 12, 2017. The anticipated high winds pose a significant threat to our students and staff. We understand that weather predictions are not always accurate, but we cannot ignore the potentially dangerous situation that this storm poses. Our number one priority is to keep our students and staff safe! Wednesday will still be a early release day as planned so that teachers will be available for parent conferences. 12 month employees should report if it is safe to do so.
- Towns County Schools closed Monday, September 11th and Tuesday, September 12th for all students. All employees should report at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, September 12th if safe to do so.
- White County Schools due to the severe weather forecast, White County Schools are closed for students and staff Monday, September 11, and Tuesday, September 12, 2017. Please be safe!
- Murray County Schools closed Monday September 11 and Tuesday September 12, due to the possible impact of Hurricane Irma. We have made this decision after consultation with local emergency management authorities and careful consideration of safety factors, such as the probability of severe winds, debris, dangerous road conditions, and downed power lines. We understand that weather predictions are often incorrect, but the size of this storm cannot be ignored. It is our hope that Murray County is spared from any of this storm’s impact, but we will always choose to error on the side of caution. All events planned for Monday and Tuesday evenings are also cancelled. This includes the September 11 MCPS Board meeting. This meeting will be rescheduled for Thursday, September 14 at 6:15 p.m. All maintenance, grounds crew, and transportation employees will meet at the transportation office.
Hurricane Irma prompts school closings in Georgia
News September 10, 2017- Fannin County Schools will be closed for students and all personnel on Monday, September 11.A great deal of consideration has been given to this decision. Governor Deal has us under a State of Emergency. Severe weather conditions, such as severe winds (especially at higher elevations), debris, dangerous road conditions, and downed power lines are all possible for our area beginning tomorrow(Monday) morning.Weather predictions are not always accurate, but this storm is massive and cannot be ignored. It is my hope that our community is spared from this, but it is better to err on the side of caution when safety is in question. Please stay safe!
- Pickens County Schools closed Jasper, Georgia — Due to inclement weather conditions,the Pickens County School District will be closed tomorrow, Monday, September 11th – TWELVE MONTH EMPLOYEES REPORT AT NORMAL TIME. Schools will also be closed on Tuesday, September 12. Twelve month employess will be contacted late Monday as to whether they will be required to come to work on Tuesday. All school activities, including athletic events and after-school programs, will be canceled. Information will be posted on the Pickens County School District website at www.pickenscountyschools.org, the Infinite Campus parent portal, district and school websites and social media sites, and sent to local media.
* Gilmer County Schools closed Release from Gilmer County School School Closed – Monday, September 11, 2017Gilmer County Schools will be closed Monday September 11 due to Hurricane Irma. We have made this decision after consultation with local emergency management authorities and careful consideration of safety factors, such as the probability of severe winds especially at higher elevations, debris, dangerous road conditions and downed power lines left in its wake. We understand that weather predictions are not always accurate, but this storm is massive and cannot be ignored. It is our hope that our community is spared from the force of this storm, but we will always choose to err on the side of caution when our students’ safety is in question.
* Dawson County Schools Closed Based on information from the NWS, Dawson County Schools will be closed on Monday, September 11, 2017. Twelve month employees report.
* Lumpkin County Schools Closed Due to the weather forecast for our area, Lumpkin County Schools will be closed on Monday, September 11, 2017. The anticipated high winds pose a significant threat to our students and staff. We understand that weather predictions are not always accurate, but we cannot ignore the potentially dangerous situation that this storm poses. Our number one priority is to keep our students and staff safe! Decisions for future closings will be made as more information becomes available. Thank you for supporting Lumpkin County Schools!
* Towns County Schools will be closed Monday for all students and staff. A decision about Tuesday will be made tomorrow afternoon.
* White County Schools Closed Due to the severe weather forecast, White County Schools are closed for students and staff Monday, September 11, 2017. Please be safe!
* Murray County Schools Closed Murray County Schools will be closed Monday September 11 and Tuesday September 12, due to the possible impact of Hurricane Irma. We have made this decision after consultation with local emergency management authorities and careful consideration of safety factors, such as the probability of severe winds, debris, dangerous road conditions, and downed power lines. We understand that weather predictions are often incorrect, but the size of this storm cannot be ignored. It is our hope that Murray County is spared from any of this storm’s impact, but we will always choose to error on the side of caution. All events planned for Monday and Tuesday evenings are also cancelled. This includes the September 11 MCPS Board meeting. This meeting will be rescheduled for Thursday, September 14 at 6:15 p.m. All maintenance, grounds crew, and transportation employees will meet at the transportation office.
Flash Flood Watch for North Georgia
News June 23, 2017This information is from the National Weather Service. To see the full NWS Radar Image for Georgia please follow the link.
The remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy will push east through the weekend. Expect the moisture associated with TS Cindy to interact with a boundary that will move south across the region through Saturday night. Given the already saturated soils and plentiful moisture expected with this front, we may see more flooding issues, especially across north GA.
Over the past 24 hours, we have observed 1-3 inches of rainfall, mainly north of I-20. This will be the main area of concern in terms of flooding potential.
WHAT:
Flash Flood Watch is in effect across north GA (along and north of I-20).
WHEN:
From 2 PM this afternoon through 8 PM Saturday evening.
IMPACTS:
An additional 1-2 inches with locally higher amounts is possible, potentially within the metro Atlanta area and points north and west. This may lead to flooding in low lying and flood prone areas, especially in urban areas and along Interstate 20. In addition, creeks, streams and rivers may overflow their banks.
FANNIN COUNTY HEALTH DEPT DELAYS OPENING UNTIL 10 AM, WED., MAR. 15
Uncategorized March 15, 2017Due to the potential for early morning wintry road conditions, the Fannin County Health Department in Blue Ridge will delay opening until 10 AM on Wednesday, March 15, 2017. This delayed opening also includes Environmental Health, WIC and Children’s Health services. For further updates, please log onto the North Georgia Health District website at www.nghd.org.
North Georgia Winter Storm Update from Fannin Command Center
GMFTO January 6, 2017January 6, 2017 – North Georgia is bracing for a possible major winter storm. Robert Graham, EMA Director, and Zach Ratcliff, Fannin County Public Works Director, deliver updates concerning possible accumulations, temperatures, warming centers, and road conditions.
https://youtu.be/juoNFBESB7M