Cold but no record in Gainesville; snow piling up in parts of country

ATLANTA - Wednesday morning's low of 19 in Gainesville was the coldest its been since last January 29, when it was 18... but it was still five degrees shy of the record low for the date. That was set in 1940.

"Well, it is very, very cold, certainly the coldest far this season but by absolute standards it's really not all that cold," according to The Weather Channel's Buzz Bennett.

Another night of readings in the teens and wind chills in the single-digits is on tap Wednesday before things moderate a bit Thursday, although temperatures Thursday are expected to remain in the 40s.

OVERNIGHT SNOW
A handful of Georgia counties got the first snow of winter season as up to two inches fell in some spots.

The snowy weather was expected to taper off as the morning went on, said Verona Murrell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Peachtree City. Most of the swath of eight counties along the Georgia-Tennessee border got about an inch of white powder, but some of the upper elevations in the mountains in northeastern corner of the state got about twice that, Murrell said.

The weather closed Union County Schools on what was to be the first day of the new semester.

Snow flurries were reported as far south as Gainesville, with some icy spots on some roads in the northern part of the county. Numerous accidents were reported as a result of patches of ice. (See separate story).

WINTER STORM
A winter storm moving east across the nation is leaving behind slick roads and blankets of snow.

In Ohio, schools are delaying or canceling classes as strong winds and heavy snow move through the state. Some parts could get up to five more inches of snow today. There are areas that already have as much as 15 inches on the ground.

Up to 16 inches of snow has fallen on southeastern Michigan, extending a winter vacation for students at dozens of schools.

Snow is also falling on the mountains of North Carolina. Forecasters say the area could get 10 inches, and lower mountain valleys will get three to six inches. And winds of up to 30 miles per hour will create a wind chill that's below zero.

In Tennessee, high temperatures are expected to be near freezing, and a winter storm warning has been posted for mountains along the eastern border of the state.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/1/205367