Some mountain counties delay school for Tuesday, DOT salting roads

UNDATED - Because of the likelihood of black ice on some mountain roads, school has been delayed for a couple of Georgia's mountain school systems.<br /> <br /> Towns County and Union County schools will delay opening of all schools for two hours on Tuesday.<br /> <br /> North Georgia Technical College-Blairsville campus will operate on a two-hour delay Tuesday.<br /> <br /> The Georgia Department of Transportation reported just after 6 a.m. that ice was developing on State Route 11/US 129/US 19 over Blood Mountain in Union and White Counties. A maintenance crew was spreading salt and gravel on the roadway to provide additional traction and to break up the icing.<br /> <br /> "Throughout the day, we will continue to check roadway conditions especially in the Gaps and known trouble spots in the Mountainous Counties of Habersham, Lumpkin, Rabun, Towns, Union and White. We could be working the Gaps on and off until temperatures rise well above freezing. Please don't drive in the higher elevations of North Georgia until later this morning after temperatures and the threat of black ice is over," said Brent Cook, Georgia DOT District Engineer for Northeast Georgia.<br /> <br /> <i>This story will be updated as necessary.</i>