It is about to get really, really cold in North Georgia.
An Arctic blast of air is headed for the region on Friday afternoon and will drop temperatures from highs in the 40s to lows in the 20s overnight, according to Channel 2 Action News. Not only will it be cold, but a strong wind is expected to make things bitter, and flurries are possible Friday.
“Tonight is when that bigtime cold is going to start to settle in, especially in the mountains,” Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said. “That’s where the wind is going to be strongest. That’s where the temperatures will be lowest. That’s where we’ll have wind chills tonight that could be below zero.”
The Arctic air is responsible for snow showers across parts of Kentucky and Tennessee on Friday morning, and it is getting closer and closer to Georgia. Atlanta is in the mid-30s to start the day and will eventually reach a projected high of 49, but Monahan said those numbers will fall fast.
“Our highs are going to happen around lunchtime today, and then as that strong wind starts to pick up, that cold air is going to come in,” he said. “Plan for falling temperatures by late this afternoon.”
As the temperatures drop, Monahan said he is expecting a few flurries. The mountains have a chance of snow Friday morning, and metro Atlanta could see white stuff by this afternoon and evening. It will not amount to much more than a dusting, he said, but a strong wind could have a big impact.
A wind advisory is scheduled to go into effect for mountain counties at 7 p.m. Friday, and a wind chill advisory for counties north of Cherokee is slated for midnight. With sustained winds blowing at 20 mph, wind chills from five below zero to 10 below zero are possible overnight, according to the National Weather Service.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
In those conditions, power outages are likely, and frostbite or hypothermia are possible. The Weather Service is advising caution when traveling outside and urging those in far North Georgia to bundle up.
Atlanta could be waking up Saturday to a low of 23 degrees, which would be the coldest weather for the city since Christmas Day 2020. A high of only 36 degrees is predicted for Saturday afternoon, but it will be sunny and dry, according to Monahan.
“By Saturday afternoon, while the high temperature forecast is in the mid-30s, wind chills are going to be in the teens and 20s,” he said. “It’s going to be a cold day across North Georgia.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
It may be cold out there, but traffic on metro Atlanta interstates is moving smoothly at the start of the Friday morning drive. There are no major delays at 7 a.m., according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
In Cobb County, drivers are advised to avoid Cobb Parkway after a crash involving a school bus. No injuries were reported, and no children were on the bus, but southbound lanes are closed at McCollum Parkway, the Traffic Center reported.
The closure has the potential to cause big delays in Kennesaw.
Things could get congested this afternoon in Midtown Atlanta with construction on Spring Street, according to the Traffic Center. Only one lane is open at 17th Street.
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
» Download The Atlanta Journal-Constitution app for weather alerts on-the-go.
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