Baby, it’s cold outside.
It's the kind of cold that led Cherokee County schools and other districts to close Wednesday in hopes of helping parents avoid patches of black ice reported.
Channel 2 Action News chief meteorologist Glenn Burns said wind gusts at 25 miles per hour made afternoon temperatures feel like 28 degrees in Atlanta Wednesday. The winter weather advisory was extended through 7 p.m.
Thursday morning temperatures were expected to be in the 20s, with the wind chill factor making it feel like 5 degrees below zero, Burns said. He warns conditions make frost bite and even hypothermia possible. The high Thursday is 56 degrees, he said.
The chill in the air is expected to continue through the weekend.
Freezing rain expected late Sunday could create additional hazards, with the next threat of inclement weather conditions expected to hit metro Atlanta early next week, Channel 2 meteorologists said.
“I’m concerned about the possibility of high impact winter weather on Monday,” said meteorologist Brad Nitz.
Freezing rain may be widespread, he added.
Flurries, snow and ice were reported on roads throughout north Fulton County and in areas of Cherokee and Cobb counties early Wednesday, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
Snow accumulated on Highway 5 and Cherokee Drive in Woodstock. And ice was reported along North Point Parkway, Houze Road/Ga. 140 near Crabapple road and Alpharetta Highway at North Fulton Hospital.
There was also ice reported southbound on the I-75 exit ramp to Highway 20, near Arnold Mill and Trickum roads and on Highway 5 at East Cherokee Drive.
The Georgia Department of Transportation has since cleared the ice near Crabapple, according to the Traffic Center.
Still, it warned drivers to be careful.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
Temperatures were 32 degrees in metro Atlanta, 19 degrees in Blairsville and 31 degrees in Griffin just before 1 p.m., but it felt like the teens.
A winter weather advisory issued Monday for black ice and slick roads was expanded Tuesday to include Cherokee, Bartow, Floyd and Gordon counties, and lengthened to remain in effect through 7 p.m. Wednesday, meteorologist Karen Minton said.
The City of Atlanta announced its emergency warming shelter will open at 6 p.m. Wednesday and remain open until temperatures increase and remain above freezing. The Old Adamsville Emergency Shelter is at 3404 Delmar Lane NW.
Temperatures aren’t expected to stay above freezing for long this week.
Wind gusts could reach 30 mph in northwest Georgia, meteorologists said.
Lows are expected to stay in the 20s Thursday, increase to the 30s Friday and Saturday, then drop to the low 20s Sunday.
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