Snow and cold temperatures trigger school closings, delays

Simar Singh makes a coffee run for his roommates as snow falls on the UTC campus in downtown Chattanooga.
Simar Singh makes a coffee run for his roommates as snow falls on the UTC campus in downtown Chattanooga.

Weather forecast

Here's the forecast for the week.

Tuesday morning's snow flurries slowed traffic across the metro area, but only a handful of accidents were reported.

A car in a ditch backed up traffic on Signal Mountain Road and vehicles were moving slowly elsewhere. Roberts Mill Road and the W Road up Signal Mountain had been closed, according to Hamilton County spokesman Mike Dunn, so getting to and from the mountain was difficult. They are now reopened.

Authorities reported an accident on Interstate 24 westbound at Rossville Boulevard around 9:30, but it was unclear if it was weather-related.

East Ridge police responded to an accident on Spring Creek Road about 9:30.

Tennessee Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jennifer Flynn said conditions were generally good in Hamilton, Bradley, McMinn, Meigs and Rhea counties. Crews were plowing as well as salting in Polk County, she said, while only salt was needed in other areas.

"All of our state routes are in pretty good shape," Flynn said..

Interstate 24 in Monteagle and Manchester were clear, although wet, and crews were salting where needed, she said.

WEDNESDAY CLOSINGS AND DELAYS

Tennessee

  • Athens City Schools will be closed
  • Bledsoe County Schools will be closed
  • Bradley County Schools will be delayed two hours
  • Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence will be delayed two hours
  • Chattanooga Christian will open at 10 a.m.
  • Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy will be delayed two hours
  • Chattanooga State will open at 10 a.m.
  • Chickamauga City Schools
  • Cleveland Christian School will be closed
  • Cleveland City Schools will be delayed two hours
  • Cleveland State will be delayed two hours
  • Grundy County Schools will be closed
  • Hamilton County Schools will be delayed two hours
  • Marion County Schools will be closed
  • McMinn County Schools will be closed
  • Orange Grove - no transportation
  • Polk County Schools will be closed
  • Rhea County Schools will be closed
  • Richard Hardy will be closed
  • Sequatchie County Schools will be closed
  • St. Andrews Sewanee will be closed
  • UTC will open at 10 a.m.
  • Van Buren County Schools will be closed

Georgia

  • Calhoun City Schools will be delayed two hours
  • Catoosa County Schools will be delayed two hours
  • Chattooga County Schools will be delayed three hours
  • Chickamauga City Schools will be closed
  • Dade County Schools will be delayed two hours
  • Fannin County Schools will be closed
  • Murray County Schools will be delayed two hours
  • Union County Schools will be closed
  • Walker County Schools will be delayed two hours
  • Whitfield County Schools will be closed

Alabama

  • DeKalb County Schools will be delayed three hours

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY

Tennessee

  • Bledsoe County
  • Bradley County
  • Grundy County
  • Hamilton County
  • Marion County
  • McMinn County
  • Meigs County
  • Polk County
  • Rhea County
  • Sequatchie County

Georgia

  • Catoosa County
  • Dade County
  • Murray County
  • Walker County
  • Whitfield County

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Previous story:

A light dusting of snow hit Chattanooga on Monday evening, and the flurries will continue today.

Off and on, the snow will fall from this morning through the early afternoon, WRCB-TV Chief Meteorologist Paul Barys said. But don't expect a hunker-down, light-the-fire, stay-indoors-all-day kind of storm. Those in the mountains around Chattanooga should see no more than an inch of snow, those in the metro valley area no more than 1/2 an inch.

"I warned you last week that cold air was heading our [way] for this coming week," Barys wrote on WRCB-TV's website. "And Old Man Winter is right on schedule!"

Barys said another, heavier snowfall could hit next week.

Today, though, while the snow may not be heavy, the temperatures are certainly expected to cause an impact. Barys said the highs should hit somewhere in the mid-30s this morning. But a wind from the West will make you feel like you're living in 20-degree temperature.

Then, this evening, the lows will drop into the mid-20s, with wind making the air feel colder still.

"By [Tuesday] night," Barys said, "wind chills will be in the single digits and teens. It's going to be very cold, as far as wind goes. But the flurries could be fading out."

The rest of the week is not expected to feature snow, and the temperatures will rise slightly as the days go by.

On Wednesday, the high will be in the low to mid-30s on a breezy afternoon. Thursday and Friday, meanwhile, should feel dry, with temperatures rising to the 40s.

Lyle Wilson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Morristown, Tenn., office, said the snow today is caused by a front of low atmospheric pressure, extending down through Southeast Tennessee. He said there is some moisture in the air with low disturbances.

Still, he agrees with Barys: Don't expect an epic snowball fight this afternoon. Wilson predicts the snowfall will not rise above 1/2 an inch in most parts of town.

"It looks pretty light," he said.

Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at tjett@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6476.

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