Winter begins at 6:12 a.m. Friday, and, after weeks of unseasonably warm weather, Atlanta’s temperatures will finally reflect the season.
Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Karen Minton is predicting lows early Friday around the freezing mark, with afternoon readings only reaching the upper 40s.
Normal highs for the first day of winter are in the low 50s, with lows normally in the mid-30s.
So far in December, Atlanta’s average temperature has been above normal on all but two days, and on 10 days this month, the average temperature was at least 10 degrees warmer than normal.
Minton said a cold front arriving on Thursday will put an end to the unseasonably warm conditions, at least temporarily.
The cold front will be accompanied by a 90 percent chance of showers on Thursday, with about an inch or so of rain expected, Minton said.
She said the rain should begin moving into the northwest corner of the state by around 8 a.m. Thursday, and could be accompanied by strong thunderstorms during the afternoon.
The National Weather Service warned of a slight risk of severe storms south of I-20.
Highs on Thursday should reach the low 60s before temperatures begin dropping behind the cold front.
The last weekend for Christmas shopping will be sunny but cool, with highs in the mid-50s and lows in the upper 20s and low 30s.
Minton said Atlantans are not likely to see a white Christmas this year, but could see a wet one as another round of rain moves into the area by early next week.
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