Once again, Georgia and much of the Deep South appear headed for a round of winter weather this weekend, but like last weekend, the best chance for frozen precipitation looks to stay mainly east of Chattooga, Floyd, and Walker Counties. The National Weather Service says confidence continues to increase for measurable snowfall across parts of northeast and east-central Georgia between Friday night and Saturday night, prompting a Winter Storm Watch for those areas.

Forecasters say locations inside the watch could see up to two inches of snow, which could create slick and slippery roads, especially during overnight and early morning hours. While confidence in measurable snowfall west of the watch area remains relatively low, our region is not completely in the clear—Northwest Georgia has about a 20 percent chance of snow Saturday morning. Meteorologists say small shifts in the storm track—especially the placement of key features in the mid-level atmosphere—will determine how far west any snow can spread, and the next 24 to 48 hours should provide a clearer picture.

Even if snow stays limited in Chattooga, Floyd, and Walker Counties, the bigger certainty is the cold. A powerful arctic air mass is expected to settle across north and central Georgia this weekend, with forecasters indicating Cold Weather Advisories and possibly Extreme Cold Watches or Warnings may be needed. On the backside of the departing system, temperatures will plunge, and wind chill values could drop below zero by Sunday morning. Some areas may struggle to climb above freezing again until Monday morning, with only a slow warm-up expected to follow.