When Will the Ice Melt Off Gwinnett County Roads?

By Bob Pepalis

Very little snow was needed to create havoc and gridlock on metro Atlanta roads. Once the melting snow turned to ice, roads were mostly impassable.

Now local residents want to know when the ice will melt so roads can be cleared. The National Weather Service extended the winter storm warning until 1 p.m. today, Jan. 29, not because of any additional snowfall, but because ice covered roads remain treacherous.

With the temperature forecast to only reach 31 degrees today, plenty of ice will remain on local roads. The temperature doesn't have to be above freezing for ice to melt with an assist from traffic and the wind. But motorists are being asked to stay off those roads so they can be treated.

The interstates and freeways in metro Atlanta continue to be extremely hazardous due to the ice and snow, the Ga. Department of Transportation reported on its 511ga.org traffic website.

"Travel on Wednesday is not recommended. If you must travel, be prepared with warm clothing, food and water, a full tank of gas, and a cell phone (fully charged)," the website post said.

Don't expect conditions to improve until midday Wednesday at the earliest. And it won't be until Thursday that the temperature is forecast to stay above freezing for any length of time, approaching 40 in the afternoon. It's hard to believe now with the temperature at 15, but on Friday the high will be 50 and on Saturday and Sunday it will rise above the mid-50s.

What snow and ice doesn't melt by Thursday should all be gone on Friday.

Today's forecast predicts a mostly sunny sky with a high near 31. A northwest wind of 5-10 mph will be accompanied by gusts of up to 15 mph.