After a chilly Friday morning and an afternoon that barely topped the mid-50s, Atlanta is beginning its descent to near-freezing temperatures overnight.
As a result, nearly all of metro Atlanta and North Georgia is scheduled to be under a freeze warning from 10 p.m. Friday until 10 a.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. The Southside was initially under a freeze watch, but the NWS upgraded that to a freeze warning Friday afternoon.
The northern suburbs could see freezing temperatures, but Atlanta is predicted to bottom out at 34 degrees, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brad Nitz said. For perspective, the average low for this time of year is 47 degrees.
Nitz added two consolations — at least it’ll be dry and not windy.
“We’ll be cool and dry with a lighter breeze, albeit we’ll be (cooling down) through the 40s (Friday night),” he said. “It’ll be fairly easy to dress for because we’re not going to be battling that wind, making us feel more cold.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Temperatures are beginning to fall quickly Friday night. Atlanta is in the 40s, and the northern suburbs are expected to drop into the low 40s by 7 p.m., which is just in time for high school football kickoff.
Wind chills could make it feel more like the 30s, according to Channel 2.
Saturday morning will only be a taste of what’s to come.
An arctic blast headed for North Georgia could drop temperatures into the teens and 20s next week, according to Channel 2. In comparison, Friday’s start in the 40s and low 50s doesn’t seem so bad.
“You don’t have any rain to worry about, though,” Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said. “The clouds are here, the rain from last night is gone, and it actually made another mark in our drought.”
The heavier rain that came through during Thursday’s evening commute brought a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch of rain to some spots. A drought monitor released Thursday by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division indicated drought conditions are improving.
“The middle of October, we had extreme drought across most of North Georgia,” Monahan said. “... Most of the area is now just in a severe to moderate drought. Yesterday's rain certainly will help.”
After Saturday’s near-freezing lows, Atlanta should warm up to a projected high of 56 degrees, according to Channel 2. The entire weekend will be cool, Monahan said.
“We do warm it up a little bit on Sunday before we really see the bottom drop out in temperatures next week,” he said.
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