When will it warm up? FOX 5 Storm Team tracks major temperature swing for Atlanta

ATLANTA - A widespread freeze will grip North and Central Georgia through Wednesday morning before a significant warming trend brings a taste of early summer for the weekend. Temperatures are expected to climb from the 30s tonight to the 80s by Sunday, according to the FOX 5 Storm Team.

What we know:

A Freeze Warning remains in effect from 11 p.m. Tuesday until 10 a.m. Wednesday, with sub-freezing temperatures as low as 22 degrees expected. 

What they're saying:

"Many communities, especially north of the metro area, are going back into the twenties," said FOX 5 Storm Team Jonathan Stacey. "But once we can shake off the chill there... Thursday morning is going to be a better start". Stacey noted that while we faced a "stifling chill" in the morning hours of Wednesday and Thursday, the "temperature was set free" afterward. Looking ahead to the weekend, the team says, "We’ll firmly be in spring... it comes in on Friday, so we’re less than three days away from the Equinox."

Timeline:

Conditions will shift from a deep freeze to early-season heat over the next several days.

• Tuesday Night: Skies turn mostly clear as temperatures drop to near-freezing in Atlanta and the low 20s in the mountains.
• Wednesday Morning: Freeze Warning continues until 10 a.m..
• Thursday: A "better start" to the day with highs climbing into the mid-60s.
• Friday: Spring officially begins at 10 a.m.; temperatures jump to the 70s.
• Weekend: Summer-like warmth arrives with highs reaching 80 degrees or higher by Sunday.

Big picture view:

The FOX 5 Storm Team is tracking a massive upper-level ridge currently over the western United States that is shifting eastward. While wrap-around moisture from a Mid-Atlantic low will bring some cloud cover on Wednesday, the dry northwest flow will dominate the late week. As the ridge settles over Georgia, air temperatures will surge, though dew points are expected to stay "in check," preventing high humidity during the initial warm-up.

Local perspective:

In Atlanta, the mercury will struggle to reach 55 degrees Wednesday before soaring to near 82 degrees by Sunday. In the North Georgia mountains, Blairsville will see a frigid low of 21 degrees tonight, but will recover to the upper 70s by the end of the weekend. Only the highest elevations may see a few light flurries or rain showers Thursday night as a weak system passes, but no impacts are expected.

Why you should care:

The immediate threat is the hard freeze tonight. Residents should take steps to protect tender plants and sensitive vegetation from the cold. To prevent damage to outdoor plumbing, the National Weather Service recommends wrapping or draining pipes, or allowing them to drip slowly.

By the numbers:

Atlanta 7-Day Forecast 

• Tuesday Night: Low 32° (10% precip)
• Wednesday: High 55° / Low 36° (10% precip)
• Thursday: High 66° / Low 46° (0% precip)
• Friday: High 75° / Low 53° (0% precip)
• Saturday: High 79° / Low 56° (0% precip)
• Sunday: High 82° / Low 59° (0% precip)
• Monday: High 78° / Low 51° (0% precip)

Blairsville 7-Day Forecast 

• Tuesday Night: Low 21° (10% precip)
• Wednesday: High 50° / Low 28° (0% precip)
• Thursday: High 62° / Low 40° (0% precip)
• Friday: High 71° / Low 45° (0% precip)
• Saturday: High 75° / Low 49° (0% precip)
• Sunday: High 79° / Low 52° (0% precip)
• Monday: High 73° / Low 43° (0% precip)

What's next:

After the freeze expires Wednesday morning, Georgia enters an extended dry and warming trend. While rain chances may start to "creep up" early next week, the primary focus is the arrival of Spring and significantly warmer-than-average temperatures for the second half of March.

Warming shelters

What you can do:

With temperatures forecast to drop well below freezing, local governments and nonprofit organizations across North Georgia have activated emergency warming centers to protect vulnerable residents from life-threatening wind chills. From Marietta to Ellijay, officials in Clayton, Douglas, and Gilmer counties, along with the cities of Atlanta and Palmetto, have opened overnight shelters beginning Monday to provide meals and refuge from the bitter cold.

In Atlanta, the city opened its warming centers on Monday and will maintain operations through March 18. Centers at Central Park Recreation Center and Old Adamsville Recreation Center are open to all, while the Selena S. Butler Park and Recreation Center is designated for women and children only. Operations run from 8 p.m. Monday, March 16, until 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 17, and again from 8 p.m. Tuesday until 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 18. The city is providing transportation from the Gateway Center starting at 8 p.m. each night.

In Marietta, MUST Ministries Hope House at 1297 Bells Ferry Road is open to men, women, and children through Tuesday, March 17. Guests are asked to arrive by 8 p.m. to stay in the shelter, with dinner served at 5 p.m. and breakfast provided the following morning.

Douglasville’s warming center at the First United Methodist Church Youth Center, located at 6167 Priestly Mill Road, will operate from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. Monday and Tuesday nights. While pets are not allowed inside the youth center, the Douglas County Animal Shelter is offering to pick up and house pets for the night and return them to owners the next day.

In Ellijay, the Gilmer County Warming Center at the Civic Center is open from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday and Tuesday. Unlike many other locations, this facility welcomes pets and will provide kennels and food upon arrival. Guests must arrive by 9 p.m.

Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services and the City of Palmetto have also activated their locations in response to the sub-freezing wind chills expected on March 16 and 17. In Palmetto, the warming center is located at the Palmetto Community Center at 595 Main St. and is open to all residents seeking a safe haven from the cold.

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