Snow arrived in the Chattanooga area on Wednesday, causing a number of cancellations. Hamilton County Schools will be on a two-hour delay on Thursday.
School officials said on Wednesday evening, "Currently, roadways look clear, but due to dropping temperatures and the threat of black ice on roads and parking lots, Hamilton County Schools will open on a two-hour delay on Thursday.
"SACC sites will open at 7:30 a.m. .
"We will assess the situation again in the morning and will send out another notification by 6 a.m. should we make the decision to close. Otherwise, we will continue on a two-hour delay."
There were several inches of snow on area mountains with less in the valleys on Wednesday.
The snow was to be followed by temps in the teens. The low on Thursday was expected to be 15. The low was to rise only to 24 on Friday.
EPB officials said on Wednesday evening, "Due to extremely cold temperatures, TVA has asked EPB to encourage our customers to reduce power use effective tomorrow, Thursday, February 20, and Friday, February 21, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Eastern Time. We ask everyone to follow these tips to keep our power grid strong while helping keep bills a little lower:
- Set your thermostat to 65-68 degrees.
- Don’t use major appliances like dishwashers, clothes dryers or ovens during this time.
- Unplug non-essential electronics and turn off lights when you leave the room.
- Commercial businesses: Turn off lights and office equipment when not in use and lower thermostats outside of business hours. This message does not suggest that businesses close or otherwise substantially change operations."
"To help meet TVA’s request, prepare for tomorrow by adjusting thermostats before bedtime, washing needed clothes and dishes tonight, and turning off non-essential electronics and lights."
The Hamilton County Schools and UTC were among those closed on Wednesday.
Due to the winter storm and the threat of hazardous travel conditions across portions of Tennessee, Governor Bill Lee closed state offices in the West and Middle and East Grand Divisions on Wednesday.
State services offered online will remain available and state employees able to work from home should do so.
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) continues to monitor the forecast and work with local, regional, and state partners to support readiness actions and any requests for resources.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is pre-treating interstates and state routes and urges Tennesseans to exercise caution and avoid non-essential travel in affected areas.