Georgia Cold Weather Advisory: Dangerous wind chills, black ice alert through Tuesday

A biting arctic airmass has settled over north and central Georgia, prompting officials to issue a Cold Weather Advisory as temperatures and wind chills plummeted Monday.

While the weekend’s winter storm has moved out, the FOX 5 Storm Team warns that the danger has shifted from falling ice to a deep, prolonged freeze. Residents across the region are being urged to prepare for single-digit wind chills and the hazardous refreezing of any leftover moisture on area roadways.

Cold weather advisory for North Georgia

What we know:

The National Weather Service has issued a Cold Weather Advisory effective from 8 p.m. Monday to 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The advisory covers nearly every county in the region, spanning from the Tennessee border down through central Georgia. This includes Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray, Fannin, Gilmer, Union, Towns, Chattooga, Gordon, Pickens, Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Floyd, Bartow, Cherokee, Forsyth, Hall, Banks, Jackson, Madison, Polk, Paulding, Cobb, North Fulton, Gwinnett, Barrow, Clarke, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Wilkes, Haralson, Carroll, Douglas, South Fulton, DeKalb, Rockdale, Walton, Newton, Morgan, Greene, Taliaferro, Heard, Coweta, Fayette, Clayton, Spalding, Henry, Butts, Jasper, Putnam, Hancock, Warren, Troup, Meriwether, Pike, Upson, Lamar, Monroe, Jones, Baldwin, Washington, Glascock, Jefferson, Harris, Talbot, Taylor, Crawford, Bibb, Twiggs, Wilkinson, Johnson, Emanuel, Muscogee, Chattahoochee, Marion, Schley, Macon, Peach, Houston, Bleckley, Laurens, Treutlen, Stewart, Webster, Sumter, Dooly, Crisp, Pulaski, Wilcox, Dodge, Telfair, Wheeler, Montgomery, and Toombs counties.

Frigid temperatures Tuesday

What they're saying:

FOX 5 Storm Team Chief Meteorologist David Chandley noted that while Monday's sunshine helped melt some of the weekend's ice, it has created a new risk for Tuesday morning.

"Hopefully, that sun helped today, but this refreezing is going on," Chandley said. "If you have any liquid stuff out there, it’s going to freeze. No doubt about it."

Reflecting on the weekend storm, Chandley noted the "bullseye" was in Northeast Georgia. "It looks like the winner was up there in Raven County... at 3/4 of an inch of ice." However, he noted that sleet helped prevent even higher ice totals and more widespread power outages. "The sleet certainly helped cut down a lot of the numbers across the region... it messed up the area roads but it didn’t bring on more higher totals in the old power outages."

Cold blast: What to expect

Timeline:

The most dangerous conditions will occur during the overnight and early morning hours. Residents should limit time outdoors and ensure pets and vulnerable neighbors are protected.

• Monday Night – Tuesday Morning: Wind chills drop to between 5 below zero and 5 above zero in north Georgia; 5 to 15 degrees in central Georgia.
• Tuesday Afternoon: Sunny but cold, with highs struggling to reach the upper 30s.
• Wednesday – Thursday: A slight "warming" trend begins, though temperatures remain 10 to 15 degrees below seasonal averages.
• Friday Night – Weekend: A secondary surge of arctic air arrives, bringing a renewed threat of freezing temperatures and a slight chance of winter precipitation.

Deep South freeze

Big picture view:

According to the National Weather Service, arctic high pressure is settling into the Deep South. While a weak shortwave and dry cold front will slide across the Southeast on Wednesday to reinforce the chill, meteorologists are keeping a close eye on the weekend.

Current models show a 20% chance of moisture developing off the coast late Friday into Sunday. With temperatures expected to be well below freezing, the NWS notes the setup "has winter weather potential and is worth keeping an eye on."

How cold will it be near you?

Local perspective:

Specific regional impacts vary by elevation and recent precipitation:

• Northeast Mountains: Wind chills will bottom out below zero. This is a life-safety concern for residents in counties like Rabun and Lumpkin who may still be without electricity following the ice storm.
• Metro Atlanta: Despite sunny skies, temperatures in cities like Alpharetta and Sandy Springs remained below freezing for much of Monday. Any lingering slush on side streets or parking lots will turn to "black ice" overnight.
• Central Georgia: While slightly warmer, wind chills in the low teens will still pose a risk to those without adequate heating.

Bitter cold weather threat

Why you should care:

The primary threat is the combination of extreme cold and the potential for infrastructure failure. Prolonged exposure to these wind chills can lead to hypothermia. Furthermore, for those without power, the NWS warns against using generators or grills indoors due to carbon monoxide risks. Driving conditions on Tuesday morning may be deceptive; roads that appeared clear Monday afternoon could be covered in a thin, invisible layer of ice.

The week ahead

By the numbers:

Metro Atlanta Forecast:

• Tuesday: High 39 / Low 25 (Sunny)
• Wednesday: High 43 / Low 26 (Mostly Sunny)
• Friday Night: Low 17 (20% chance of rain/snow showers)
• Saturday: High 28 / Low 16

North Georgia Forecast:

• Tuesday: High 37 / Low 16 (Sunny)
• Wednesday: High 39 / Low 17 (Sunny)
• Friday Night: Low 8 (20% chance of rain/snow showers)
• Saturday: High 24 / Low 8

Deep freeze relaxes

What's next:

The deep freeze will relax slightly mid-week, but don't pack away the heavy coats just yet. "We’ll deal with some cold temperatures... and maybe get Groundhog Day and temperatures still down below the average," Chandley said. A second reinforcing shot of arctic air is expected by Friday night, potentially bringing the coldest temperatures of the season so far for the upcoming weekend.

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