Atlanta Braces for Rare January Ice Storm; GDOT Pre-Treating Roads

ATLANTA — Metro Atlanta is bracing for a rare winter ice storm that forecasters say could bring up to a quarter inch of ice accumulation to the region Sunday night into Monday, prompting preemptive school closures and travel advisories across the 29-county metro area.

The Georgia Department of Transportation began pre-treating major highways and bridges Saturday afternoon with a brine solution. GDOT has deployed more than 200 trucks and has stockpiled 40,000 tons of salt and sand.

"We are taking this storm very seriously," said GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry. "Ice storms are particularly dangerous because they can make roads impassable very quickly. We urge everyone to stay home if at all possible."

Atlanta Public Schools and more than a dozen other metro area school systems have already announced closures for Monday.