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Decatur, DeKalb, and Atlanta schools closed Jan. 8 due to icy weather conditions

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Decatur, DeKalb, and Atlanta schools closed Jan. 8 due to icy weather conditions

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A city schools of Decatur bus. Photo from CSD Facebook page.

This story has been updated. 

City Schools of Decatur, Atlanta Public Schools and DeKalb County Schools will not open tomorrow, Jan. 8, due to expected icy weather.

The decision to close schools was unexpected. Schools usually only close for snowy weather. But there’s a big event going in Atlanta on Monday, the College Football National Championship game, which President Trump plans to attend. That, combined with icy weather, could make for some embarrassing traffic conditions if schools were open as usual.

According to the National Weather Services, there’s a chance of freezing rain before 11 a.m. followed by more rain. The high Monday will be 40 degrees and the low Monday night will be 37 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

In a message to parents, CSD said, “Out of an abundance of caution and awareness for the safety of our students and employees, City Schools of Decatur will be closed on Monday, January 8, 2018, due to potential icy road conditions. All scheduled after school activities and events are canceled for Monday, January 8.”

APS said via Twitter, “Due to inclement weather, APS is closing school as well as after school activities for Monday, January 8th.”

The school district followed up with press release about the decision.

“The Atlanta Board of Education (ABOE) swearing in ceremony and the election of board officers will proceed as planned tomorrow, however, the work session, community and legislative meeting will be postponed for a later date,” the press release from APS says. “Recent weather forecasts indicate possible winter weather including light freezing rain in the morning hours for the Atlanta metro area. APS advises parents and families to be mindful of the weather conditions and to exercise caution when traveling throughout the metropolitan area.  Additionally, parents and families should exercise caution on the roads due to the anticipated traffic congestion especially in the afternoon hours as a result of the National College Football Championship Game, the potential arrival of the President into downtown Atlanta, and the resulting road closures. Parents and guardians at APS charter schools are encouraged to contact their schools directly for scheduling information.”

DeKalb County Schools said in an email, “Based on the forecast of inclement weather, the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) will close all schools and offices on Monday, January 8, 2018. The Board of Education meeting scheduled for Monday, January 8, has been postponed until such time that will allow for safe travel. DCSD will provide additional information on any additional closures, as weather reports warrant, at www.dekalbschoolsga.org.”

The city of Atlanta also announced plans to close city offices and the city’s municipal court on Monday.

Here is the full  press release from the city of Atlanta:

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced today that City of Atlanta government offices, including the Atlanta Municipal Court, will be closed on Monday, January 8, 2018, due to a National Weather Service Winter Weather Advisory.  Essential employees are expected to remain or report to work during normal/emergency business hours.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for portions of North and Central Georgia, including metro Atlanta, effective tomorrow from 5:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  Light freezing rain is expected to develop and ice accumulations of less than a tenth of an inch are expected. The freezing rain will result in difficult travel conditions, including during the morning commute on Monday. Elevated surfaces such as bridges and overpasses will be most susceptible to icing.

Department of Public Works personnel will employ a Level 2 response, which includes pre-treating Priority 1 and 2 bridges and overpasses. The City has already pre-treated 103 Priority 1 and 2 bridges and 387 Priority 1 and 2 routes. The Department of Public Works also has access to additional resources from other city/governmental agencies if needed.

If you need to report an issue, dial 311 for all non-emergencies within the city limits, or 404-546-0311 outside the city.

A detailed list of winter weather tips are available online at http://bit.ly/2jfsdmY.

The city of Decatur and the city of Tucker will be open for business as usual. Tucker said it would open later due to the weather but did not specify what time city hall would be open.

A spokesperson for the city of Tucker said, “We’ll assess in the morning and make an announcement based on road conditions by 10 a.m.”

DeKalb County will delay opening its offices until 10 a.m.  The county is also delaying garbage collection by one day.  Here’s the full announcement regarding sanitation services:

DECATUR, Ga. – In anticipation of freezing rain and icy road conditions, the DeKalb County Sanitation Division suspends collection service for residential and commercial customers on Monday, Jan. 8. Normal collection service will resume on Tuesday,

Jan. 9, and will run one day late through Friday.

The Sanitation Division’s administrative office will operate on a limited schedule on Monday, Jan. 8, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. The Seminole Road Landfill will also operate on a limited schedule on Monday, Jan. 8, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Normal operating hours will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

The city of Avondale Estates says it will be open for business today with no changes to its regular hours.

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