Snow at Cloudland (5AM) Saturday morning (Photo Credit: Wendy Brown)

While the heaviest snowfall is expected to remain east of our area, Chattooga, Floyd, and Walker Counties in Northwest Georgia will see light snow showers this morning, according to the National Weather Service in Peachtree City.

The National Weather Service reported that as of 2 AM, northwest winds began strengthening as a deepening coastal low pressure system offshore combined with strong high pressure over the central United States. This tightening pressure gradient is pulling a frigid arctic air mass into Northwest Georgia, with temperatures already dropping below freezing overnight.

This timing is aligning perfectly with winter weather conditions, as large-scale atmospheric lift ahead of an upper-level low is producing a broad area of light snow now moving into Northwest Georgia. Snow will continue spreading across north and east-central Georgia through the morning and afternoon hours before tapering off as the system exits to the east.

Meteorologists note this event will feature an uncommon type of snow for this far south, with snow ratios between 15 to 20 to 1, resulting in a dry, powdery snowfall. Typically, snow in this region is wetter, with ratios under 8 to 1. Combined with below-freezing air and road temperatures, snow will stick and accumulate immediately, leading to rapidly deteriorating road conditions wherever snow falls.

Winds will also be a major factor, with gusts between 25 and 35 mph expected. These strong winds, combined with the arctic air mass, will create dangerous wind chills through the weekend, especially tonight into Sunday morning.

Temperatures will be at their warmest early this morning and will steadily fall throughout the day. Afternoon highs are expected to remain in the 20s across North Georgia and the low 30s in Central Georgia. Wind chills will range from 0 to 10 degrees in North Georgia and 10 to 20 degrees in Central Georgia for much of the day.

An Extreme Cold Warning goes into effect for the entire area at 7 PM tonight, with overnight low temperatures dropping into the teens by Sunday morning and wind chills falling into the low single digits.

Conditions are expected to improve early next week, as temperatures rebound on Monday under mostly sunny skies. Highs will climb into the 40s, allowing for gradual melting of any accumulated snowfall.