FRIGID TEMPS EXPECTED SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING Special Weather Statement issued March 11 at 2:51PM EST by NWS Peachtree City GA Unseasonably cold air will settle across the entire area by Saturday night with low temperatures dropping into the teens to mid 20s. Combined with the expected gusty winds, wind chill values will drop into the single digits (above zero) and teens areawide. With expected low temperatures, a Freeze Warning and/or Wind Chill Advisory will likely be issued tomorrow for portions of north and central Georgia.
Please continue to pay close attention to the latest weather forecasts over the next 24 hours as new information becomes available, and prepare for potentially high-impact weather across north and central Georgia. You can visit the NWS Peachtree City/ Atlanta web page at: www.weather.gov/ffc http://www.weather.gov
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A strong low-pressure system will move through Georgia tonight and tomorrow morning, bringing severe weather to South and Central Georgia and winter weather to North Georgia. Although a few strong storms are possible today, the main timeframe for these impacts will be midnight tonight through noon tomorrow. Of particular note will be the potential for overnight tornadoes in South Georgia.
Severe Weather Threat
Showers and thunderstorms will start to overspread southern Georgia this evening before stronger storms move in after midnight. A squall line could develop and move through southern Georgia during the early morning hours as well. The primary threats for any strong to severe thunderstorms will be damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes. Heavy rainfall could also lead to some localized flooding, and a Flood Watch has been issued for far South Georgia. The Storm Prediction Center has issued an Enhanced Risk (level 3 of 5) for much of South Georgia, indicating continued confidence in the threat for severe thunderstorms to form overnight tonight through tomorrow morning. Showers and thunderstorms should end from west to east through the mid-to-late morning hours of Saturday. A Wind Advisory has also been issued for most of Georgia on Saturday with winds expected to gust up to 40-50 mph.
Winter Weather Threat
As the storms are moving through South and Central Georgia, behind the cold front in North Georgia will be the chance for a rain/snow mix early Saturday morning. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for much of Northwest Georgia and will be in effect from 4 AM through 1 PM Saturday. Widespread snowfall accumulations of up to 1 inch are expected in the Advisory area with up to 2 inches possible in far Northwest Georgia. See the attached graphics for forecast snowfall amounts and which counties are in the Advisory area. The primary window for snowfall accumulations in North Georgia will be approximately midnight tonight through 10 AM tomorrow. Temperatures will hover near or below freezing during the afternoon tomorrow across North Georgia before plummeting to the teens and lower 20s on Sunday morning, resulting in a hard freeze. Afternoon high temperatures on Sunday are forecast to reach the 50s.
