THURSDAY’S WEATHER | Metro Atlanta getting short break from bitter cold

After two piercingly cold days, metro Atlanta is in for a bit of a reprieve Thursday.

But don’t let the warmer air fool you into thinking spring is on the way. It’s still January in the Southeast, after all, and the temperature rollercoaster isn’t over yet. Forecasters are warning that another shot of arctic air is on the way this weekend ahead of a “January thaw” next week.

Starting out Thursday, temperatures were a bit higher than Wednesday morning, but not by much. Most of the area was in the teens and 20s as the sun came up.

“Remember, (Wednesday) we had a lot of spots down near 10 and even below that, and it felt even colder with the wind, so it’s definitely going to feel a lot less cold to you this morning,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said. “(There is) basically absolutely no wind across North Georgia, so no wind chill to deal with, but still plenty cold as it is without that wind blowing.”

Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com

Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com

By the afternoon, temps will top out near 50 degrees, much closer to the average of 54 for this time of year.

Skies will be mostly sunny, but clouds will start gathering this evening as the cold air approaches, pushing light rain into the area overnight and early Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The rain chance is staying low at just 10% after sunset and 20% on Friday.

“(We) will be monitoring this system for the potential for another round of a wintry mix across far northeast Georgia,” NWS meteorologists said.

A winter weather advisory will go into effect at 7 p.m. for far northeast Georgia, where there could be up to one-tenth of an inch of ice accumulation in higher elevations Friday morning. The advisory is set to expire at 7 a.m.

🥶 Winter Weather Advisory from 7pm-7am 🥶

🧊High chance (70-90%) that rain mixed w/ freezing rain will lead to ice accums from a glaze-0.1" in NE GA mountains.

‼️ Action/Impact ‼️
Ice accums could lead to slippery roads so slow down on your commute and protect the 4 Ps! #gawx pic.twitter.com/HfX1udOrro
— NWS Atlanta (@NWSAtlanta) January 18, 2024

The city of Atlanta is keeping two warming centers open through Monday morning. One for men only is open at the Central Park Recreation Center at 400 Merritts Avenue, and another for only women and children will be at the Selena Butler Recreation Center at 98 William Holmes Borders Senior Drive.

Friday’s highs are expected to stay in the 40s. But behind the line of potential showers, very cold and dry air moves in.

Lows closer to the city will be in the teens and 20s again Saturday morning, with areas further north potentially falling into the single digits. Highs will struggle to break the freezing mark, and the forecast is calling for wind chills that will make it feel more like 15 degrees, or as low as 10 degrees below zero in the mountains.

“With a long duration of temperatures at or below freezing in the forecast for much of North Georgia, we could be seeing more instances of plumbing-related issues as a result of this intense cold snap,” the NWS warns.

ExploreHow and when to protect your pipes from freezing

If you plan to spend time outdoors, “please cover up any exposed skin,” Monahan said. “You’ll be at the risk for the possibility of frostbite, or hypothermia could also develop in a pretty short amount of time.”

Aside from the frigid cold, the forecast shows that Saturday is shaping up to be a quiet weather day with sunny skies on tap.

“But right around the corner, we have the January thaw,” Monahan said.

Highs on Sunday will be in the 40s, and temperatures will gradually increase each day.

“From coast to coast ... we’re gonna have much warmer than average temperatures build in, basically all across the country and right here in North Georgia,” Monahan said. “That means by the end of next week, (we’ll see) the chance for some highs up near 70 degrees ... It’s going to feel a whole lot better around here.”

With warmer air, that usually means more rain. A counterclockwise-spinning disturbance in the upper part of the atmosphere is expected to slide over the Sierra Nevadas next week and could pump moisture from the Gulf of Mexico into the Southeast, the NWS predicts. That could lead to some downpours Wednesday.