Updated at 11:00am on 1/26/26:

Walker County Government offices, including Transit, will open at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 27, due to the extremely cold weather forecasted.

All courts in Walker County will also delay opening until 11:00 a.m.

Updated at 8:15am on 1/26/26:

Roads in Walker County are passable this morning, but motorists will encounter patches of ice and slick spots in some locations, especially on Lookout Mountain.

We will reopen Nickajack Road at 9:00 a.m. Dougherty Gap Road will remain closed today. Road crews will continue to spot treat slick areas reported by first responders.

The warming shelters in Rossville in LaFayette will be winding down around noon.

An additional Cold Weather Advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service for 8:00 p.m. tonight through 9:00 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Updated at 9:30am on 1/25/26:

Roads in Walker County are passable at this time, but motorists traveling on Lookout Mountain should exercise extreme caution. There are several shady areas that are icy. We still have crews out this morning to address slick spots. The National Weather Service continues to warn of hazardous travel conditions Monday morning as an Arctic cold front surges into the area, potentially freezing roads, power lines and tree limbs.

Currently, there are less than 200 residents without power.

Warming shelters remain open in Rossville, LaFayette, and at Cloudland Canyon State Park for those in need.

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Updated at 7:00pm on 1/24/26:

Walker County Government offices, including the landfill and transit, will be closed Monday, January 26, due to the threat of hazardous travel conditions and dangerously cold weather.

The Walker County Health Department will be closed Monday, January 26.

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Updated at 3:45pm on 1/24/26:

The National Weather Service has issued a Cold Weather Advisory for Walker County from 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Monday. Very cold wind chills between 0 and 15 degrees are expected.

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Updated at 2:45pm on 1/24/26:

Georgia State Parks have opened a warming shelter at Cloudland Canyon State Park for folks on Lookout Mountain. The address is 122 Cloudland Canyon Park Rd, Rising Fawn, GA.

Walker County Schools and Chickamauga City Schools will be closed on Monday, January 26.

The Walker County Courthouse will be closed on Monday, January 26 and reopen Tuesday, January 27. There will be no Superior, State, Magistrate, Probate, Juvenile or Municipal Court functions Monday. Civil and criminal matters on any calendar will be continued.

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Updated at 11:00am on 1/24/26:

11:00 a.m. update: You can now view the roads our crews have traveled at https://tinyurl.com/4r5y25vr. This shows where crews have been, not areas that have been treated. The color coding refers to the crew, not the current condition of the road.

Currently, we are pre-treating bridges, hills, and areas around stop signs. Roads remain passable at this time.

Reminder: Walker County and the City of LaFayette will open warming shelters at noon today. The warming shelters will have cots, bottled water and snacks. Residents planning to stay overnight should bring their own bedding, including sheets, blankets, and pillows.

Warming shelters will be located at:
-Rossville Community Center (301 Williams Street, Rossville)
-LaFayette Church of God (1002 South Main Street, LaFayette)

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Updated at 3:30pm on 1/23/26:

IMPORTANT Weather Statement: The National Weather Service has issued an Ice Storm Warning for Walker County from 7:00 a.m. Saturday to 10:00 a.m. Monday. A major ice storm is expected to impact our community with ice accumulations of a 0.25 inch or greater. The timeframe with the greatest level of concern is between Saturday night and Sunday morning, with a hard refreeze overnight Sunday into Monday.

Walker County and the City of LaFayette will open warming shelters at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, as the storm will have the ability to disrupt power. The warming shelters will have cots, bottled water and snacks. Residents planning to stay overnight should bring their own bedding, including sheets, blankets, and pillows.

Warming shelters will be located at:

• Rossville Community Center (301 Williams Street, Rossville)
• LaFayette Church of God (1002 South Main Street, LaFayette)

Also at noon on Saturday, Nickajack Road and Dougherty Gap Road will close to through traffic.

Travel is strongly discouraged during the storm. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.

Walker County’s Emergency Operations Center will begin operations Saturday at 9:00 a.m.

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Updated at 10:30am on 1/23/26:

Walker County, representatives from our local cities, and the county school system continue to monitor and prepare for the potential of winter weather.

Our winter weather fleet stands ready to respond. We have nine vehicles, including four dump trucks, ready to plow roads and treat them with a sand and salt mixture. We have also staged material at four fire stations across the county, so our crews wont have to return to the sandbox to reload. In addition, road department crews worked this week to remove some potential tree hazards that could develop with icy conditions.

The forecast has changed multiple times this week, but should the need arise, we are prepared to open warming centers for the community.

Our current schedule changes:
Landfill – closed Saturday
Animal Shelter – closed Saturday

A decision about additional schedule changes will be made Sunday.

We will provide updates on this weather event, as needed, on this page on our website. Residents are also encouraged to use our SirenGPS notification app to receive updates directly on your phone.

A Winter Storm Watch will be in effect from 1:00 a.m. Saturday, January 24 until 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 26.