Many Georgians stepping outside today will be hit with freezing temps that will keep us shivering continuously for the next three days, during which we could see metro Atlanta’s second snowfall of 2025.
Temperatures are predicted to stay below freezing, setting up the potential for ice and snow accumulation as a storm moves in Tuesday. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for most of the state from Tuesday morning to Wednesday morning.
Snow could impact travelers leaving Atlanta after Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Those attending the game and Martin Luther King Jr. Day events will be braving temperatures in the 20s with a wind chill that makes it feel much colder.
Most of Tuesday’s snowfall is forecasted to impact the southern half of the state. Areas south of I-20 will have the best chance of accumulating snow, about 1-2 inches, according to Channel 2 Action News Meteorologist Brian Monahan.
While parts of metro Atlanta could see snow, it is dependent on how far north the weather system moves, Monahan said. Snow accumulations could be between 1 and 3 inches, with some of the heavier snowfall expected in Middle Georgia, according to the NWS.
Up to 3.5 inches of snow fell earlier this month — the most widespread snow metro Atlanta has seen since January 2018. The storm caused some power outages and some traffic accidents as roads froze. But the city avoided a snowpocalypse situation like in 2014, when a January winter storm with less than 3 inches of snow brought traffic to a standstill and left some motorists stranded on the interstates.
Freezing temperatures can cause water pipes to freeze or rupture, NWS warned. Residents in affected areas should wrap or drain outdoor faucets and let water drip slowly from indoor faucets to help prevent pipes from freezing.
Delta Air Lines warned travel could be affected by the winter weather and issued a waiver for those with flights booked to, from or through Atlanta for Monday or Tuesday, to allow more flexibility to change travel plans and avoid the storm.
Bitter cold has also settled in Washington D.C., where many are gathered for the presidential inauguration of Donald J. Trump. Conditions are partly sunny, with highs in the 20s and lows in the teens today and tomorrow.
In Atlanta, two warming centers are open continuously Sunday through Wednesday starting at 8 p.m. They include:
- » Central Park Recreation Center at 400 Merritts Avenue;
- » Selena S. Butler Park at 98 WM Holmes Borders Drive, for women and children only.
In DeKalb, four centers are open continuously beginning Sunday. They include:
- » Frontline Response International at 2585 Gresham Road;
- » Tobie Grant Recreation Center, 593 Parkdale Drive;
- » Mason Mill Recreation Center at 1340 McConnell Drive;
- » Exchange Recreation Center at 2771 Columbia Drive.
Gwinnett’s warming stations will be open Monday and Tuesday evenings starting at 6 p.m. They include:
- » Buford Senior Center at 2755 Sawnee Avenue;
- » Shorty Howell Park Activity Building at 2750 Pleasant Hill Road;
- » Best Friend Park Gym at 6224 Jimmy Carter Boulevard;
- » Centerville Senior Center at 3025 Bethany Church Road;
- » Lawrenceville Senior Center at 225 Benson Street.
MUST Ministries will open its winter weather shelter each night from Sunday through Saturday. Those looking to spend the night should check in by 8 p.m., the organization said. Dinner and a hot breakfast will be served. The shelter is located at 1297 Bells Ferry Road in Marietta.
» For a detailed forecast, visit www.ajc.com/weather.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @WSBTraffic on X.
» Download The Atlanta Journal-Constitution app for weather alerts on-the-go.
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