GDOT Prepares for Another Winter Storm in Georgia

State transportation agency readies crews, equipment, and materials ahead of expected snowfall across northeast, east, southeast and central Georgia this weekend.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 9:07pm

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The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is preparing for another winter weather event expected to impact much of the state, beginning early Saturday morning. Forecasts indicate this will be a snow event, with light to significant snowfall anticipated across northeast, east, southeast and central Georgia, including the metro Atlanta area. GDOT is implementing a statewide response, repositioning crews, equipment, and materials into the hardest-hit areas to ensure an effective response.

Why it matters

Back-to-back winter storms have already tested Georgia's transportation infrastructure and the patience of residents. This latest system has the potential to cause significant disruptions, underscoring the importance of GDOT's preparedness efforts to keep major roads and highways passable for essential travel.

The details

GDOT will begin brine operations on Friday, focusing first on interstates and critical routes, followed by additional roads as conditions allow. The agency has nearly 2 million gallons of brine statewide and the capacity to make an additional 50,000 gallons per hour. On interstates, crews will prioritize treating the outside lanes and ramps to help keep all lanes passable. GDOT has approximately 570 snow removal units, including 439 snowplows that also function as spreaders and dump trucks, plus 130 heavy-duty pickups with plows and spreaders. Contractor forces will supplement GDOT crews statewide.

  • Brine operations will begin at 7 a.m. Friday, January 30, in advance of expected snowfall; in metro Atlanta, brine operations will begin at 10 p.m. on January 29.
  • The winter weather event is expected to begin during the early morning hours of Saturday, January 31.

The players

Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT)

The state agency responsible for planning, constructing, and maintaining Georgia's state and federal highways, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure.

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What’s next

GDOT will continue to monitor conditions statewide and respond as needed. Motorists are urged to avoid travel whenever possible on Saturday and Sunday, and to exercise extreme caution if travel is necessary.

The takeaway

This winter storm highlights the importance of GDOT's preparedness efforts to keep Georgia's roads and highways passable, even in the face of back-to-back weather events that have tested the state's transportation infrastructure. By repositioning crews and resources, pretreating roads, and prioritizing critical routes, GDOT is working to mitigate the impact of this latest storm and ensure the safety of motorists.