Winter Storm May Bring About An Inch Of Snow To Chattanooga, Temps As Low As 13 Degrees, Hamilton County And Most Other Schools Will Close; Courts Shut Down

An approaching winter storm could bring snow to Chattanooga, according to the latest forecast. an earlier forecast on Monday said Chattanooga could get up to three inches. That has been trimmed back to around an inch.

The storm is also to bring Arctic air, causing temperatures to drop as low as 13 degrees.

Hamilton County Schools will be closed for students and all employees on Tuesday due to the forecast of snow and ice to come into the area overnight and into the morning hours.  District personnel will continue to keep close contact with weather experts and emergency personnel in the area tomorrow morning to assess the impact of the weather on area roads as we consider the school situation for Wednesday.  A decision on Wednesday will be made tomorrow afternoon. 

 

All school-aged childcare locations will also be closed tomorrow.

 

Athletic events, practices and school activities after school are canceled tomorrow.  Games will be rescheduled.

Bradley County Schools will be closed on Tuesday.

Officials will continue to monitor the weather and update on possible closings for Wednesday. Cleveland City Schools will close.

All campuses of Georgia Northwestern Technical College will be closed on Tuesday, following the directive from Governor Brian Kemp that all state offices will be closed. All day and evening classes, events and activities are canceled. A decision regarding delays or closures for Wednesday will be made Tuesday afternoon.

UTC and Chattanooga State will be closed.

Also closed Tuesday will be Berean Academy, Boyd Buchanan School, Brainerd Baptist School, Bryan College, Chattanooga Christian School, Chattanooga Charter School, Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, Christian Heritage School, Cleveland City Schools, Cleveland State Community College, Dalton State College, Dade County Schools, Catoosa County Schools, Walker County Schools, Whitfield County Schools, Berean Academy, Brainerd Baptist School, Chickamauga City Schools, Dalton City Schools, Dalton State, Dayton City Schools, Good Shepherd School, Grundy County Schools, Hickory Valley Christian School, Marion County Schools, Meigs County Schools, McMinn County Schools, Notre Dame, Oakwood Christian Academy, OLPH, Polk County Schools, Rhea County Schools, Richard Hardy School, St. Jude School, Walker County Schools, and Whitfield County Schools. 

Lee University will be delayed two hours and 40 minutes, with classes beginning after chapel.

Covenant College will be delayed until 9:30 a.m.

All Hamilton County General Sessions Courts, Criminal and Civil, and clerk's offices are closed on Tuesday. There will be no Chattanooga City Court both morning and afternoon on Tuesday. East Ridge Court will be cancelled Tuesday night due to impending weather. 

Siskin Children's Institute will be delayed until 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

All city of Dalton business offices will be closed on Tuesday.

CHI Memorial Primary Care Associates will be delayed until 10 a.m.

CHI Memorial Internal Medicine Associates – Signal Mountain:  Opening delayed until 12:30 p.m., if weather permits. Patients will be rescheduled.

 

CHI Memorial Convenient Care – Signal Mountain: Opening delayed until 12:30 p.m., if weather permits.

 

The Chattanooga Department of Public Works has deployed an eight-vehicle brine operation throughout the city to be complete by close of business Monday.

Beginning Tuesday, at 4 a.m. the Chattanooga Department of Public Works will have 20 heavy equipment vehicles outfitted with salt and sand spreaders.  Primary roads will be treated first, followed by secondary routes. The Chattanooga Department of Public Works will also treat the entrances and exits to emergency rooms and fire halls. The Chattanooga Department of Public Works will answer any emergency calls and ask that residents call 311 at (423) 643-6311 with issues and reports of roads requiring treatment.

Plows will be installed on the Chattanooga Department of Public Works’ heavy equipment vehicles and will be released depending on the severity of the weather event. Chattanooga’s Fleet division is ensuring the success of all vehicle operational needs ahead of this weather event.

The Chattanooga Department of Public Works currently expects no disruption to curbside garbage and recycling collection on Tuesday. However, the Chattanooga Department of Public Works will evaluate the road conditions and notify residents should there be a delay in curbside garbage and recycling collection tomorrow, January 29, 2019.

The Chattanooga Department of Public Works will have regular updates on the department’s Twitter and Facebook.

 

On Monday morning at the Emergency Operations Center, Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management had several agencies attending the National Weather Service conference call pertaining to the Winter Weather on Tuesday morning. Those agencies in attendance were: Chattanooga Fire Department, Chattanooga Police Department, Hamilton County EMS, 9-1-1 Communications, Hamilton County Dept. Of Education, Tennessee Highway Patrol, UTC EMA, Erlanger Lifeforce, TDOT, and City and County Public Works.

Hamilton County EMS Director Ken Wilkerson reported Hamilton County EMS will start Winter Protocol on Tuesday morning. Winter Protocol will consist of ambulances transporting to the nearest medical facility.

The Emergency Operations Center will open at 4 a.m. Tuesday with supporting agencies to prepare for potential emergency situations in the Hamilton County/Chattanooga area.

The storm is expected to bring as much as six inches of snow to some areas of East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Southwest North Carolina.

The National Weather Service said, "Plan on slippery road conditions. Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute."

Here is the latest forecast: