North Georgia is looking at another chilly and mostly dry day Thursday, but all eyes are on the weekend forecast and its potential for winter weather.
According to Channel 2 Action News, a weather system is approaching the Pacific Northwest and will make its way south over the next three days. It has the potential to bring accumulating ice and snow into parts of North Georgia on Sunday, but Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said it is still too early to predict exact amounts and timelines with any certainty.
“We’ve had some pretty good model consistency over the past few days, and that’s why our confidence is pretty high now that a good part of our area is going to see some winter weather as we go into the weekend, especially north of I-20,” Monahan said.
Ahead of the winter weather event, weather looks nice and quiet for North Georgia. Atlanta is expected to reach a high of 57 degrees Thursday after a milder start in the 30s and 40s. While there is a slight 10% chance of a shower, most of the area will stay dry, Monahan said.
Friday should see more of the same, and favorable conditions will carry over into Saturday for those celebrating the Georgia Bulldogs national championship in Athens. By then, Monahan said clouds will increase as the storm system approaches.
Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-40s when a parade begins at noon, according to Channel 2.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
“If you are headed out to the parade in Athens, you’re going to want to dress warmly, because it’s going to be kind of a cool day with the clouds around, but it should be dry,” Monahan said. “It will be Saturday night this weather system moves in.”
All precipitation will start as rain Saturday night as showers spread across the region, he said. That could eventually turn to a wintry mix overnight, then sleet, and finally snow. Through Sunday evening, Monahan is expecting about 1 to 2 inches of rain, which could fall as “every type of winter precipitation.”
Temperatures are not expected to leave the 30s on Sunday.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
“By the time it’s over, we’re likely going to have some significant accumulations of ice and snow, especially north and east of Atlanta,” he said.
On the Southside, the air will be too warm for rain to freeze, Monahan said. He is expecting heavy rainfall but no significant winter weather for neighborhoods south of I-20. If Atlanta gets snow, it would be the first significant snowfall since Jan. 17, 2018, when 2.3 inches fell at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
It has been 1,456 days since then, the second-longest no-snow streak since a 1,477-day stretch between 1948 and 1952.
Monahan said forecasters are waiting for the weather system to make landfall in the Northwest before they can start predicting accumulations for North Georgia.
“There will be parts of our area that do see snow,” he said. “Other parts are going to see freezing rain and sleet. Other parts are going to see rain. A lot of different kinds of weather headed our way this weekend.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
At least on Thursday, roads are dry and clear for the start of the morning commute. Volume is picking up all across metro Atlanta, but there is “really no reason to rush out of the house,” WSB traffic reporter Mark Arum said at 7 a.m.
There are no major crashes or longstanding closures anywhere inside the Perimeter, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
» 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.
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