Snow in metro Atlanta and deep freeze across North Georgia this weekend
ATLANTA - The snow chance around metro Atlanta is increasing for Saturday, but meteorologists said everyone should prepare for a bitterly cold weekend.
Prepare your pipes
What they're saying:
The FOX 5 Storm Team is highlighting the danger of dangerously low temperatures. Atlanta and surrounding areas are expected to spend more than 65 consecutive hours below freezing from Friday through Monday.
"I need to highlight how cold it is going to be Friday through Monday," said FOX 5 Meteorologist Alex Forbes. "Many spots will spend 65+ hours below freezing, putting us in pipe bursting territory. Remember Christmas 2022? Similar situation, I'm afraid."
Officials recommend that people begin to prepare now and plan on dripping faucets and ensuring pipes are insulated before the deep freeze sets in.
Snow timeline
What they're saying:
The primary window for snow is expected to open early Saturday morning. While some flakes may appear in the mountain counties late Friday, the main event will begin around 5 a.m. Saturday, likely exiting to the south and east by 9 p.m. that night.
Snow chances have risen for metro Atlanta, though the highest probabilities remain concentrated in eastern Georgia. Because the air will be bitterly cold as the precipitation begins, the FOX 5 Storm Team notes that any snow that falls will stick to the ground and roads immediately.
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"The temperatures are going to be bitterly cold as the snow begins to fall, meaning wherever it snows, it will stick to the ground and roads immediately," Forbes noted. "This will cause travel impacts, even in areas with light accumulations."
Snow accumulation unknown
What they're saying:
Forecasters remain cautious about providing specific snow totals due to the extreme cold. Typically, colder air results in a higher "snow-to-liquid ratio," meaning a small amount of moisture can produce significantly more accumulation than it would at temperatures closer to freezing.
"I'm still hesitant to get into the snow total territory, mainly because of how cold it will be," Forbes said. "The colder the temperatures, the more snow accumulation comes from the same amount of liquid water. This means we could see more snow in the mid-20s than we otherwise would in the low-30s."
The Source: Information in this article comes from the FOX 5 Storm Team forecast.