Temperatures dip to below freezing as Arctic blast hits Atlanta

Frigid cold has set in across metro Atlanta, making Monday a good day to stay indoors as much as possible — under the blankets with some hot chocolate.

Temperatures are steadily recovering from bitter morning lows in the teens and 20s that prompted a cold weather advisory over North Georgia through 8 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. In lower central and eastern Georgia, that advisory lasted until 10 a.m.

By late morning, Atlanta’s temps were steadily inching into the 30s.

The Arctic front moved south this weekend after frigid air turned places such as Montana and North Dakota into an icebox.

A woman braves Monday's freezing temperatures as she walks two dogs through Piedmont Park. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

“It’s as cold as it’s been since February,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said early Monday. Specifically, Feb. 21 is the last time temps were in the 20s in the city, he said.

No snow is in the forecast, but the wind chill made it feel like the single digits in some locations, the NWS said.

The cold is so fierce that some local governments have opened warming centers. DeKalb County’s locations will remain in service through Tuesday. Atlanta’s centers will be open through Wednesday morning.

Clear skies will help warm us up this afternoon, at least a bit. Highs Monday are projected to reach the low to mid-40s.

The air will be very dry, too, triggering a fire danger statement through the evening, according to the NWS. Relative humidity is projected to be under 25% across all of North Georgia.

“Any fires that develop could spread rapidly,” the Weather Service cautioned.

As night approaches, lows are expected to dip back into the 20s, but temps will “gradually rebound by the middle of the upcoming week,” the NWS said.