Tuesday school closingsChattooga CountyDade CountyFannin CountyGrundy CountyRhea CountySequatchie CountyWalker CountyWhitfield CountyCatoosa County will dismiss elementary schools at 1 p.m., secondary schools will dismiss at 1:30 p.m., and student drivers will be dismissed after the buses leave at 1:30 p.m., or they may ride the bus home.Hamilton County schools will dismiss at 10:15 a.m. for 7:15 a.m. start, 11 a.m. dismissal for 8-8:30 a.m. start, noon dismissal for 9 a.m. startUTC cancels classes after 10 a.m.
Forecasters are calling for a chance of snow and slushy precipitation this morning, but at least one area resident said he's had enough.
"I love snow, but we've had our share," said the Rev. Curt McKee of Catoosa County, Ga.
Mr. McKee said he has lived in the Chattanooga and North Georgia area since 2003, but this winter has brought more snowfall than his other years here combined.
About 5.1 inches of snow has fallen in the Chattanooga area so far this season, and about 4.8 inches is the norm, said Greg Cole, a National Weather Service spokesman in Morristown. Weather service forecasters there are calling for an 80 percent chance of precipitation this morning that could turn into snow if temperatures are cold enough.
There was a 70 percent chance of precipitation Monday night, meteorologist Todd Hyslop said. The potential for snow is caused by a storm system moving east out of Texas, he said.
"We've got enough sufficient cold air across the southeastern part of the country that ... it could be a mixture of rain and snow," Mr. Hyslop said.
Morning temperatures at the time the storm hits today will be a critical factor, WTVC NewsChannel 9 Chief Meteorologist David Glenn said. The precipitation is expected to be slushy, and any kind of a wintry mix could make the roads slick, he said. There also could be about an inch of snow accumulation, he said.
The high today is expected to hit 39, only six degrees higher than the overnight low of 33, Mr. Hyslop said. The norm is a low of 35 and a high of 60, he said.
"We're kind of hurting right now. Spring isn't happening yet," Mr. Hyslop said.
In advance of the possible bad weather, trucks started throwing salt on Chattanooga roads Monday afternoon, said Lee Norris, public works administrator for the city.
As of Monday evening, schools in Walker, Catoosa and Hamilton counties had not made a decision about possibly closing.
"We have folks out there monitoring the weather and trying to make decisions as early as possible," said Danielle Clark, spokeswoman for Hamilton County Schools.
Icy road conditions, not cold or snow, is the determining factor, said Ms. Clark, because more than 60 percent of the county's students travel on school buses.
Hamilton County Schools students have missed four days so far this school year because of weather, Ms. Clark said. Students can miss three more before they will have to make up any days, she said.
Catoosa County students have missed days because of flooding in September 2009 and another two because of snow, while Walker County Schools students missed two days because of the flooding and three days because of snow, records show.
Officials at the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Ga., said they do not keep records of snowfall in the North Georgia area.
Region 3-A boys' semifinals postponed
The Region 3-A boys' basketball tournament semifinals that were scheduled for tonight at Arts & Sciences has been postponed because of the weather.
The games between CSAS-Marion and Grace Academy-South Pittsburg will be be rescheduled.
Coaches are meeting to decide when to play the games. The options include trying to the two semifinals on Wednesday before the girls' region title game or trying to play the boys' semifinals Wednesday with both title games on Thursday.
1-3 inches of snow expected
Snow blanketing the Chattanooga and North Georgia areas is expected to continue throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service.
In Chattanooga's lower elevations, there is an expected 1 to 2 inches of snow, with as much as 3 inches of accumulation in the higher elevations, said Greg Cole, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn. The area is under a winter weather advisory until 4 a.m. Wednesday and it is still unclear if the snow will turn into rain at some point today, he said.
"That's the prickly part of the forecast," Mr. Cole said. "The models are showing the temperatures going up, but that's not really panning out right now."
He said if Chattanooga's snow turns to rain, it should happen between noon and 2 p.m.
Jessica Fieux, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Ga., said parts of Whitfield County have as much as an inch of accumulation already, causing the North Georgia winter weather advisory to be upgraded to a winter storm warning.
"We have the snow ending by midnight or 1 a.m.," she said. "We may not dry out today with the snow, and if the roadways continue to stay wet ... we could see some icy roadways."
Temperatures should be into the high 40s Wednesday, with a possibility for flurries, Ms. Fieux said.
Bradley County Schools, City stay open
City and County schools remain in session. Both say there are no plans yet for early dismissal.
Matthew Casson, spokesman for the Bradley County EMA, says the prediction is for the snow to turn to rain somewhere around 11 a.m. and hopes streets are in good shape by commute times.
Meanwhile the Bradley County Emergency Medical Service reports numerous wrecks but nothing serious.
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