Where did the snow go? 

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Though it’s going to be bitterly cold next week, forecasters say the chance of snow in South Georgia is virtually zero, as opposed to earlier forecasts. Last week, meteorologists for both the National Weather Service and the private forecasting firm AccuWeather said there was  a significant, though not certain, chance of snow in the Valdosta area Wednesday, pegged at 30 percent, though forecasters warned it would take a “nearly perfect” lineup of factors to make the flurries possible. Earlier this month, South Georgia had the first measurable snowfall since 1989, with parts of Lowndes getting up to an inch of the white stuff. Sunday, though, the weather service had cut the Wednesday snow prediction to only 10 percent. “Forecasting that far forward, you have a lot of changing times and positions,” said Ricardo Humphries, a weather service meteorologist in Tallahassee, Fla. “A lot of stuff has to match up nicely.” The storm system originally threatening some more snow in South Georgia now isn’t expected to take shape for snowfall until it reaches the Carolinas, said Brett Rossio, a meteorologist for AccuWeather. Still, South Georgia will get extra cold next week as a Canadian air mass — the “Alberta Clipper” — surges south, he said. In the days before the Clipper reaches South Georgia, a mild warming will take place, with Valdosta’s daytime highs expected to climb into the mid-50s through Tuesday and nighttime lows climbing into the mid-30s, according to the weather service forecast. When the Alberta Clipper arrives Wednesday, everything changes. The weather service expects Valdosta’s high that day to reach 45 degrees, with the nighttime low pegged at only 23 degrees. Valdosta’s normal high for this time of year is 62, with a low of 38, Humphries said. Unlike the deep freeze that hit South Georgia in the first week of January, which hung on for almost a week of sub-freezing lows, this one isn’t expected to linger. Rossio expects a warming to start Friday with highs in the 50s, climbing to the mid-60s during the weekend. Skies are expected to be sunny most of the week, according to the weather service forecast. Neither meteorologist expected any severe weather this week.

Due to increase in flu cases, hospital begins temporary visitor restrictions

DALTON, Ga. — Flu cases in Dalton have risen dramatically in the last few weeks, and for the safety of patients and visitors, Hamilton Medical Center has established temporary visitor restrictions. So far, HMC has treated 229 people with confirmed cases of flu. The flu season typically runs from Oct. 1 to March 31. According to Perri Correll, Hamilton’s infection prevention director, the hospital started seeing a significant increase in flu cases the week of Christmas, about one month earlier than last year. Due to the widespread occurrence of flu in this area, Hamilton is asking for the assistance of community members in supporting a hospitalized loved one’s recovery by limiting visitation during this flu season. The restrictions include no visitors with influenza-like illness, fever, cough or runny nose and only essential visitors ages 18 or older (immediate family, partner or significant other). Patients experiencing flu-like symptoms will need to wear a mask. “We know limiting visitations is a difficult thing to ask, but because we’re seeing so many flu cases in our area, it’s in the best interest of patients and visitors that we limit visitation during this type of flu season,” Correll said. “There’s simply too much risk of germ exposure at this point. We want to keep everyone as safe as possible.”