SATURDAY’S WEATHER-TRAFFIC: Thunderstorms expected for New Year’s Day in Atlanta
Meteorologists say the Atlanta region is going to experience wet weather this weekend.
Atlanta and the northwestern part of Georgia will face a threat of severe weather for New Year’s Day, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Jennifer Lopez and chief meteorologist Glenn Burns.
After Friday evening’s predicted severe storms, Burns said Atlanta is facing a level 2 threat for severe weather Saturday with an extremely low tornado threat. On Saturday, meteorologists expect the scattered thunderstorms in the morning will become more widespread in the afternoon.
The National Weather Service reported Friday that there is a slight risk of strong to severe storms along the I-85 corridor within the metro area. The agency said the severe threat will persist overnight Saturday into Sunday.
Meanwhile, the metro area will have a high 74 degrees on Saturday. WSB-TV meteorologist Brian Monahan said on Twitter that this is the third warmest December on record in Atlanta, with records dating back to the late 1800s.
That said, temperatures are expected to drop into the 60s on Sunday. Burns said a cold front is expected to move over Atlanta between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday.
“It’s going to feel like January as we get into Sunday night into Monday morning,” he said.
In fact, the meteorologists said the cold front could potentially bring some snowfall into the region on Monday.
Burns said a European snow model indicates there will be a little wintry mix in the North Georgia mountains, where snow showers could at 1,500 feet or above.
Even so, Burns said the area probably will not experience any accumulation of snow because the ground is too warm.
“If that actually happens, there will be no accumulation because the ground temperatures have been so warm the last couple of weeks,” Burns said.
About the Author
Wilborn P. Nobles III covers Atlanta City Hall for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He began covering DeKalb County Schools for The AJC in November 2020. He previously covered Baltimore County for The Baltimore Sun and education for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans. He interned at the Washington Post. He graduated from Louisiana State University.
