Ice and wind remain threats, power outages centered in Atlanta after winter storm

The view from the 17th Street Bridge in Atlanta after a winter storm hit on Friday, Jan. 11, 2025. (Patrick Saunders/WABE)

Olivier Morin / Olivier Morin

This story was updated on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 4:11 p.m.

A winter storm warning was lifted for Atlanta on Saturday morning but officials are warning of safety issues through the weekend.

Just over 2 inches of snow fell at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday, according to the National Weather Service. It was the first measurable snowfall — meaning at least 0.1 inches — since 2022 and the first snowfall in the city over 1” since 2018.

Over 1,400 flights were canceled at Hartsfield-Jackson on Friday, according to FlightAware. Over 300 have been canceled over 700 have been delayed as of 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Over 100,000 households lost power on Friday, according to poweroutage.us. Over 50,000 households were without power as of 10:00 a.m. Saturday, but that number had dropped to 8,000 as of 4 p.m. on Saturday. The outages were primarily centered in metro Atlanta.

Utility companies worked through the night to restore services.

Wind gusts could lead to more power outages Saturday

Local officials continued to urge drivers to stay off the roads in Atlanta while crews are working to clear ice and snow. 

If people must drive, they should do so slowly and watch for fallen trees, debris and other obstructions in the roads. Black ice is also a concern for drivers.

Wind gusts of 20 to 25 m.p.h. are expected in metro Atlanta on Saturday, with higher gusts in the mountains, according to the National Weather Service. The winds could bring down ice-covered branches, limbs and powerlines, leading to possibly more power outages.

The high is forecast to hit 36 degrees in Atlanta on Saturday before plunging to 20 degrees overnight. 

Some light frozen precipitation is possible Monday morning along the I-20 corridor which could cause slick spots during the morning commute.

A state of emergency remains in effect in Georgia through Tuesday.