Brace Yourself, Georgia: An Arctic Blast and Possible Winter Wonderland Ahead!

An unseasonably cold air mass is set to arrive Monday morning, bringing freezing temperatures and potential winter weather impacts to north and central Georgia through Wednesday.

Cold Temperatures: Wind chills as low as 5-10 degrees below zero are possible in elevated areas of northwest and northeast Georgia Monday morning, with single-digit to teens wind chills across the rest of the region. On Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, wind chills will range from the teens to lower 20s. Prolonged freezing temperatures could lead to frozen pipes and hypothermia for those not properly dressed.

Winter Weather: Snow showers, sleet, and freezing rain are possible Tuesday, particularly in central and north Georgia. Any precipitation will stick instantly due to the freezing temperatures, creating hazardous road conditions that could persist for days. Confidence is higher in impacts further south and east compared to prior storms.

Timing: The cold air mass will settle in on Monday and remain through the week, with wintry precipitation expected to begin Tuesday morning and taper off by early Wednesday.

Impacts: Travel may be severely affected by icy roads, and prolonged cold weather poses risks to infrastructure and public safety. Confidence is high in the arrival of cold temperatures but remains low regarding the specifics of the winter storm’s timing and severity.

Here is the latest from NWS Atlanta:

An unseasonably cold airmass will move in across the area beginning Monday morning, supportive of dozens of hours of temperatures well below freezing through Wednesday. 

Confidence is increasing in the potential for winter weather impacts across north and central Georgia beginning late morning/early afternoon Tuesday through Wednesday morning. 

WHAT:

• Cold: Monday morning wind chills as much as 5-10 below are possible for portions of northwest and northeast Georgia at elevation, with wind chills in the single digits to teens for the remainder of north and central Georgia. On Tuesday and Wednesday morning, wind chills in the teens to lower 20s are forecast. 

• Winter weather: Chances for snow showers and a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain (far southeast central Georgia) are possible on Tuesday. Unlike the previous winter storm, accumulation totals and impacts are likely to be higher further south and east. 

WHERE & WHEN:

• Cold: Temperatures will steadily drop through Sunday afternoon and night, with the colder airmass taking hold over the area on Monday through much of the week.

• Winter weather: Guidance is trending higher on chances for wintry precipitation advancing northward into central and north Georgia on Tuesday morning and tapering off around daybreak on Wednesday morning.

IMPACTS:

• Cold

  • Wind chills can lead to hypothermia quickly if improperly dressed to spend time outside.
  • Extended periods of time with temperatures below freezing will increase the chances of pipes freezing and bursting.

• Winter weather:
  • Considering the long period of time that temperatures will be below freezing, any wintry precipitation that falls will stick to the ground/roadways instantly.
  • Any snow/ice accumulation that occurs will persist on roadways for multiple days leading to prolonged travel concerns.
  • Winter events generate high levels of interest from the public, so please be alert to the impacts of potential “gotcha” forecasts via social media, etc.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE:

• High confidence in unseasonably cold temperatures starting Monday morning.

• Low confidence in timing, accumulations, and impacts from the potential winter storm.

Chattooga County 911 shared these cold weather reminders: