Grab the heavy winter coat. Metro Atlanta temperatures dropped into the 30s on Friday morning for the first time this fall.
And while there was a slight chance to see some snow flurries over the northeast Georgia mountains, no flakes were reported, said National Weather Service and Channel 2 Action News meteorologists.
Still, it sure feels plenty frigid. This afternoon, highs will climb up to about 51 degrees in the city.
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
On Friday morning, the metro area woke up to temps as “cold as it’s been since March,” Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said. Plus, the wind has made it feel even colder than it is. But it’ll be short-lived: That cold air will gradually lift out by the second half the weekend, Monahan said.
Until then, DeKalb County has opened warming shelters to help residents in need get through the chilly night. Shelters will be open starting at 8 p.m.
Some locations in the North Georgia mountains already saw 30-degree temps in mid-October when the area had its first frost advisory. Closer to the city, it’s been one of the warmest Novembers on record amid one of the warmest years on record. The lowest temperature we’ve seen in Atlanta this season was 41 degrees on Oct. 17.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had temperatures in the 30s,” Monahan said. “Yes, (it) is late into the season to have that first temperature below 40 degrees.”
The latest date on record for 30-degree temps to arrive was set in 1994 on Nov. 23. We hit that mark a day earlier this year.
“So, almost a record, late arrival of these cold temperatures this season,” Monahan said.
There was a possibility to see a few “rogue flurries” in higher elevations, with the best chance being in the far northeast corner of the state, specifically in the parts of Georgia that border Tennessee and North Carolina, the National Weather Service predicted. The NWS said light snow fell overnight in the two border states.
In DeKalb County, four warming centers will be open every night through Friday. The locations include:
» Frontline Response International at 2585 Gresham Road in Atlanta
» North DeKalb Senior/Community Center at 3393 Malone Drive in Chamblee
» Mason Mill Recreation Center at 1340 McConnell Drive and Exchange Recreation Center at 2771 Columbia Drive, both in Decatur
Starting Saturday, temps will begin their steady climb back into more comfortable conditions. By early next week, we will see a return of highs in the upper 60s and low 70s.
That also means rain will be back in the forecast. Starting Monday, we’ll see a 20% chance of showers at least through the middle of next week.
» For a detailed forecast, visit www.ajc.com/weather.
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