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A family of three, were killed in an accident when their vehicle lost control on Morgan Road and went into Lake Haralson, in Haralson County.

According to the Georgia State Patrol, a local resident heard the crash and alerted authorities. But the family could not be rescued in time.

Police said weather was a contributing factor to the accident.

Rain, Sleet, Snow Continue in N. Georgia

According to 11Alive Chief Meteorologist Paul Ossmann, rainfall amounts should remain around one-quarter to one-half inch overnight. Any additional accumulations of snow will be light with less than an inch in most places around Metro Atlanta, though more snow can be expected in the north Georgia mountains.

Roadways are expected to remain slick through much of the night -- especially on bridges and overpasses. Motorists are urged to use caution and slow down.

Rain, Sleet, Snow Hit Georgia

A wintry mix of snow, sleet and rain moved through Georgia on Wednesday in the broadest band of winter weather to hit the state this year.

Sleet and snow started falling first in central Georgia as moisture from the Gulf of Mexico collided with a blast of cold air from the northeast. It moved north gradually, hitting metro Atlanta in late afternoon and threatening to dump 2 to 4 inches of snow in northeast Georgia, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service posted a winter storm warning for that portion of the state, where temperatures were expected to dip into the 20s overnight.

The state Department of Transportation said State Route 180 Spur in Towns County and State Route 348, known as the Richard Russell Parkway, in White and Union Counties were closed because of the weather.

"These are some of the highest elevations in the state and can get treacherous quickly. We don't want to take the chance of anyone getting stuck up there so we close both roads before the winter weather starts and they will remain closed until after the winter weather is over," DOT spokeswoman Teri Pope said.

The 180 Spur, the only state route with a gate on it, leads to Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia.

State Route 348 is a scenic corridor with no businesses or residences.

Meteorologist Mike Leary of the weather service's office in Peachtree City said temperatures were expected to drop into the lower 30s Wednesday night, which could cause some icy patches on roads. He said there would be little to no accumulation of freezing precipitation in much of the areas affected because the ground is still warm from the unseasonably high temperatures so far this winter.

Leery said the wet weather was expected to move on overnight, and Thursday should be dry.

For most of north Georgia, the weather service had a winter weather advisory through early Thursday morning.

Forecasters said rain would fall across the southern half of the state, and the mixture of sleet and snow possibly would change to freezing rain in northeast Georgia.

It's Snowing!

Snow and sleet began falling across the metro Atlanta area Wednesday afternoon.

Reports of winter weather were first reported in Atlanta’s southern suburbs, and then progressed northward. By about 4 p.m. snow could be seen falling in Midtown.

As of about 4:45 p.m., no major accumulations of snow or ice had been reported.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for all of north Georgia late Wednesday morning while the ever-changing forecast called for rain mixed with sleet Wednesday night with the likelihood of snow in the North Georgia mountains.

As of about 3 p.m. Wednesday, there were already reports of snow and sleet falling in Covington, Carrollton, Peachtree City and Senoia.

11Alive meteorologists were tracking a line of snow showers that were moving towards the Atlanta area. The line is expected to hit right around rush hour.

From Wednesday night into Thursday morning, the following scenario was expected:

# Northeast Georgia mountains: Snow
# North of Atlanta: Freezing rain and some sleet mixed with rain.
# Metro Atlanta area: Sleet mixed with rain and the possibility of freezing rain.
# South of Atlanta: Rain

The storm system had picked up speed, which reduced the likelihood of it lingering.

"There's still a slight chance of a rain/snow mix on Friday but it's only about a 20 percent probability," 11Alive's Flip Spiceland said on 11Alive News Today Wednesday.

Spiceland said some occasional rain will fall Thursday morning, but he thinks most of the moisture will exit the area by early Thursday afternoon.

The rain will move into the Metro Atlanta area Wednesday afternoon and then change over to a wintry mix into the evening hours in Atlanta.

"I believe as this rain moves in as we go through the evening hours, we will see sleet mixed with it," Spiceland said.

A Winter Storm Watch was issued for a large portion of the northeast Georgia mountains in advance of the storm. The watch affected areas as far south as Pickens and Dawson counties.

A winter storm warning was issued for Rabun and Habersham counties, meaning that snow is not just possible, it's likely.

The precipitation will fall through cold air, and then hit warm moist air, causing sleet closer to Atlanta but leaving snow in the mountains, Spiceland explained.

Later in the overnight hours, if the rain hits the ground while temperatures are still below freezing, trouble could follow.

"When it hits, it would freeze on the surfaces. That's called freezing rain. That's the little bit of a twist in our forecast that we have and there's pretty good chance we'll see some freezing rain," even in Metro Atlanta area from Wednesday night to Thursday morning, Spiceland said.

The 11Alive Storm Team is tracking the weather system and will provide online and on-the-air updates throughout the week.

Road Crews Ready
The Georgia DOT is getting ready for whatever the winter system drops on the Metro Atlanta area.

For DOT crews, one of the most challenging aspects of dealing with weather events is how fast the roads get slippery.

"Well it's difficult to tell how quickly a road will freeze after a bridge may freeze. A lot of that has to do with how quickly the temperatures are dropping, if they are dropping, what the humidity is and if there is any wind," said Mark McKinnon of the DOT.

Any ice would likely form first on trees and power lines before hitting the roads.

School Systems Making Preparations

School systems are making preparations for the possibility of wintry weather. No closures have been announced yet, but officials are looking at the forecasts and the road conditions to ensure that buses are safe.

Many school districts begin looking at plans and scenarios two to three days in advance of a storm system's reaching north Georgia.

"We start gathering information overnight from weather reports, from GEMA, from county officials, from the Department of Transportation," said the Gwinnett County Schools spokesman Sloan Roach. "All these other agencies that are working on weather events as well, so that we can get the best information available to help us make the decision on whether to hold school."

One big concern is that there may not be ice in one portion of the county, while another area of the county has been hit hard by ice. As a result, the school system has to take the entire county into account when a decision is made.

National Weather Service Statement Issued

The National Weather Service issued a statement early Tuesday evening warning of possible winter weather precipitation across the northern portion of Georgia Wednesday night and into Thursday.

A storm system developing in the western Gulf of Mexico Thursday, will move northeast into southwest Georgia Wednesday afternoon and evening. Currently there is a large area of high pressure over the region, which will move northeast toward the mid-Atlantic coast tonight. Sufficient cold and dry air will be in place across north and parts of central Georgia for a possible mix of winter precipitation late Wednesday through early Thursday as the Gulf Coast system spreads moisture over the area.

At this time, it appears the greatest concern will be across northeast Georgia and in the mountains, where the potential exists for some accumulation of winter precipitation. For the mountains of northeast Georgia, accumulations of snow and sleet are possible overnight Wednesday and early Thursday. For areas from the northeast suburbs of Atlanta to Gainesville to Athens, the potential exists for light accumulations of sleet and freezing rain. Some sleet, snow and/or freezing rain will also be possible in west-central and northwest Georgia -- although the potential for accumulations appears less likely in these areas. Further south, toward Columbus and Macon, the precipitation will fall mostly as rain.

Many uncertainties remain regarding the potential for winter weather late Wednesday through early Thursday, including the exact timing, precipitation type, and amount. Later forecasts will refine any areas likely to see accumulations of winter precipitation.

Persons planning travel across north Georgia Wednesday evening through Thursday should stay abreast of later forecasts and monitor for watches, advisories or warnings that may be issued.

11Alive News Winter Weather Watch 2008
11Alive News Today will begin an hour early Thursday morning, at 4 a.m. to bring you the latest information about the winter weather and how it may affect your commute. Stay tuned to 11Alive, 11Alive WeatherPlus and 11Alive.com for updates and details as they become available.