North Georgia is looking at a cold start to winter and a warm Christmas all in one week.
Those two realities will be made possible by a shift in the air that will turn up the heat by the middle of the week, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan. At its start, the region is chilly Monday morning with temperatures in the 30s and 40s and a high of only 52 degrees forecast for the afternoon.
“As we go through Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, that cool air is moving out,” Monahan said. “Our air is coming off the Pacific, and that’s going to mean a warm Christmastime.”
Winter officially arrives Tuesday with the winter solstice at 10:58 a.m. Monahan said it will be cold again Tuesday with a projected high of only 47 degrees. A 40% chance of light rain during the afternoon hours will mostly impact those south of I-20, he said.
“The mountains are not going to see much of any rain tomorrow,” Monahan said. “Metro Atlanta, a few showers. Southside, that’s where a steady light rain will fall during the afternoon.”
None of the rain will turn to snow, he said. There is no snow in the forecast all week, including on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, according to Channel 2. Only one white Christmas was ever recorded in Atlanta, when 1.3 inches of snow fell in 2010.
Ahead of the wet weather, Monahan said North Georgia will turn increasingly cloudy Monday. Those clouds will not produce any showers as the region stays dry, but cool. Dry conditions will return Wednesday as temperatures remain at seasonal levels, but Thursday’s highs could reach 60 degrees, according to Channel 2.
By Christmas Day, temperatures could reach the upper 60s. Monahan is predicting a high of 68 degrees Saturday, along with a mix of clouds and sunshine.
“We’re going to try to keep that weather stress-free,” he said. “The second half of the week looks really good for those last-minute holiday activities, plans, errands and shopping.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
With metro Atlanta school districts on winter break, roads should be pretty clear Monday as volume stays low. At the start of the Monday morning drive, there are no major delays on any metro Atlanta interstate, according to WSB traffic reporter Heather Catlin.
“Overall, things are looking fantastic around town,” she said at 6:30 a.m.
» 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.
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