Friday night marks the transition into a more impactful period as a very cold Arctic air mass pushes into the region behind a cold front. Temperatures will fall well below freezing overnight from north to south, while winds become increasingly gusty as the pressure gradient tightens. At the same time, an upper-level trough will deepen and move toward the area, allowing moisture to wrap around the system and produce scattered snow showers across north Georgia. Snow will be possible in our area overnight into Saturday morning, with minor accumulations expected.

The farther east you travel, the greater the likelihood of measurable snowfall, which has prompted a Winter Storm Warning for Northeast Georgia. Snowfall impacts there are expected to be more significant compared to Northwest Georgia.

As conditions begin to clear Saturday night, cold air will rapidly settle in. Winds are expected to remain elevated, causing wind chills to fall into the low single digits. This has led to the issuance of an Extreme Cold Watch from 7 PM Saturday night until 1 PM Sunday afternoon for our area, with the watch expanded to include all of North Georgia.

Temperatures through the first part of next week could remain below freezing for an extended period, increasing concerns for pipes, pets, and people sensitive to extreme cold. Conditions should return to more seasonable, though still cool, weather by Wednesday, with the next weather system expected to arrive midweek. Early indications suggest that system will be warmer than this weekend, with details becoming clearer as this storm exits.