ATLANTA – Crews from Georgia Power and Georgia EMCs were working to restore service to customers across North Georgia and the Atlanta metro area after a winter storm dropped snow and ice on Friday and into Saturday. While precipitation has largely ended, the FOX 5 Storm Team warns that icy conditions and high winds will continue to pose challenges.
Current outage numbers
As of 10:25 a.m. on Saturday, there were still about 53,000 power outages reported across the state.
By the numbers: Georgia Power reported that they were working to restore power to more than 48,900 customers, while Georgia EMCs were addressing more than 3,800 outages. In the Atlanta metro area, Fulton County was reporting more than 15,400 customers without power. DeKalb County reported about 10,000 outages, and Gwinnett County had about 9,800 customers in the dark.
When will power be restored?
What they’re saying: Progress has been hampered by freezing rain, icy roads, and falling trees. With winds expected to intensify Saturday morning, crews expected additional challenges.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Georgia Power acknowledged the challenges crews are facing due to icy conditions.
“As our crews anticipated based on the forecast, additional freezing rain and falling trees have caused power outages as the sun has gone down. We understand how important power is, especially in this cold. Know that we are committed to working safely and as quickly as possible to restore your power,” the utility posted.
A Georgia Power lineman reiterated the sentiment in a video shared on X. “Conditions overnight remain challenging with icy roads and winds, but as long as it is safe—we will be working.”
With winds picking up, officials are urging residents to stay off the roads and report any downed power lines.
Atlanta weather | Saturday forecast
Although metro Atlanta remained just above freezing late Friday night, forecasters warned that temperatures are expected to dip below freezing by early Saturday morning, potentially creating hazardous driving conditions.
Icy roadways will be a concern, especially in areas that briefly rose above freezing earlier. The combination of freezing temperatures and gusty winds will also increase the risk of power outages as ice-coated tree limbs and branches fall.
Saturday will see improving conditions as temperatures rise above freezing by late morning or early afternoon. Sunshine and gusty winds of 20-30 mph are expected to help dry out roadways, further reducing the risk of icy conditions.
The Source: FOX 5 consulted Georgia Power’s outage map for outage numbers, Georgia EMC’s outage map for power outage numbers, and the United States Power Outage Map.
