After a warm, pollen-filled week featuring intermittent storms, Saturday will give Georgia a chance to chill out.
However, that brief window of mild weather will come to and end Sunday when potential severe weather rolls through Georgia, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brad Nitz.
“A real significant weather threat is going to be building for Sunday,” he said. “We have an unstable atmosphere, the wind shear is in place and the energy for the storms is going to be substantial.”
RELATED: Damaging winds, tornadoes possible on Easter
Before that dour — and potentially dangerous — storm system enters the state, North Georgia will drop to near-freezing temperatures early Saturday morning, Nitz said. As a result, 22 northwest Georgia counties will start the day under a frost advisory, including Bartow and Cherokee counties, according to the National Weather Service.
Atlanta isn’t expected to drop below 41 degrees, but that’s still nearly 10 degrees cooler than seasonal norms, Nitz said. The North Georgia mountains should dip below freezing.
The weather will heat up quickly, with Atlanta expected to top out at 70 degrees. No rain is in the forecast, which is the exact opposite of Sunday.
A weather system that’s currently over Louisiana will move east Saturday, entering Georgia by Sunday afternoon, Nitz said. West Georgia and all of metro Atlanta is under a Level 3 out of 5 risk for severe storms.
While that’s a step lower than a huge chunk of Alabama and Mississippi, which is under a Level 4 risk, Nitz said Georgians should take the storms just as seriously.
“We have a substantial risk of severe weather ... we're talking about heavy rain, the potential for flash flooding, especially in west Georgia, and we have the risk of damaging wind gusts in excess of 70 mph,” he said.
Most of metro Atlanta is projected to get 1 to 2 inches of rain by Monday morning as a result of the storms.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
The weather may put a damper on construction projects Sunday night, but crews will be unimpeded on Saturday. With the state sheltering in place, traffic is expected to be lighter than normal during daytime hours.
However, drivers are advised to expect delays on I-20 West due to roadwork between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. near Glenwood Avenue and I-285 North, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation. A right lane will be blocked near Glenwood Avenue and the exit ramp to I-285 North will be closed for construction.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page .
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
» Download The Atlanta Journal-Constitution app for weather alerts on-the-go.
