Government offices closing early Monday in anticipation of cold rain, college football game, Trump visit

Gov. Nathan Deal and the city of Atlanta are taking off work early Monday as the city buckles down for a perfect storm of cold rain, the college football National Championship Game and a visit by President Trump.
“In light of several factors, Gov. Nathan Deal, along with Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Fulton County government officials, announced early closures for state and local government in metro Atlanta on Monday, January 8,” the Governor’s Office said. “The City of Atlanta will close at 2:30 p.m. Fulton County and state government will close at 3 p.m. Agencies are also encouraged to allow employees with the ability to telecommute to do so. Employees and visitors are also encouraged to use MARTA to travel on Monday. Finally, state and local governments will continue monitoring weather and will send additional guidance to employees as necessary.”
The kickoff for Monday’s game between the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia is 8 p.m. President Trump also intends to attend, which will likely add to the traffic. The Weather Channel is forecasting freezing rain for Monday morning and rain throughout the day and evening. The high temperature will be 44 degrees.
There’s no word on whether schools will also close early. The DeKalb County School Board is planning to hold its Jan. 8 meeting an hour early.
“The Board of Education will hold its Community Input Session at 4:45 p.m. and its Business Meeting at 6 p.m. in light of the National College Football Championship Game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama,” the board announced.