Cobb County urges residents to stay off roads after heavy snow, freezing rain create hazardous conditions

Cobb County emergency staff urged residents to stay off roadways after heavy snow that began early Friday created hazardous travel across the county and later turned to freezing rain and sleet.

"Well this has been a winter storm for the books here in Cobb County," Speaker 1, staff member, said, describing rapid accumulation on roads and difficult driving conditions on hilly routes.

County staff said the Department of Transportation (CobbDOT) pretreated roadways, then switched to a sand–salt mixture once snowfall intensified, but the speed and volume of accumulation overtook treatments on many hills and elevated sections. Officials identified Johnson Ferry, Windy Hill, East–West Connector, Barrett Parkway and Cheatham Hill as examples of routes that became impassable in places.

"There's only so much material we can put on the ground, where, the snow just, you know, accumulates so fast that it's gonna overtake that," Speaker 2, staff member, said, adding that the county was asking people to remain home unless they faced an absolute emergency. By midday the precipitation shifted to freezing rain and then to rain in some areas, which briefly improved drivability before temperatures were expected to fall and refreeze surfaces overnight.

One of the most serious collisions reported occurred near the Concord Road covered bridge during the early afternoon, county staff said. Two cars collided head-on; the impact flipped one vehicle and pushed the other into the bridge, causing superficial damage to the guardrail and protective beams. Concord Road was closed for much of the afternoon while crews cleared the scene.

Cobb County International Airport crews remained on alert to keep runways clear, and the county’s emergency operations center was open to let public safety and public works agencies coordinate response and share incident information. "All of our public safety partners, police, fire, 911, sheriff's office, our information services have been in the EOC today so that we can coordinate effectively," Speaker 3, staff member, said.

Officials described staffing as continuing 12-hour shifts and said DOT crews were plowing and treating slushy sections to reduce the risk of refreeze. "Our teams have done a great job, but we need you to do the best job that you can do to stay safe," Speaker 4, staff member, said, urging residents to stay home where possible because Cobb County’s hilly topography can hide hazards under a snow or ice layer.

County staff said the number of crashes was substantial but lower than some past storms because many people heeded travel advisories. They warned that roadway and surface temperatures had been a little above freezing in the afternoon but were expected to drop again overnight, increasing the risk of re-icing.

Officials said they would continue monitoring conditions overnight and asked residents to follow updates from CobbDOT and public safety channels. No formal votes or policy actions were taken during the briefing.