Storms move into North Georgia Sunday night into Monday

ATLANTA - Make sure you enjoy the warm, sunny Saturday across North Georgia before a powerful storm system brings the threat of damaging winds and spin-up tornadoes to the region early Monday morning.

What they're saying:

The FOX 5 Storm Team warns that a drastic temperature drop will follow the front, sending wind chills into the teens by Tuesday.

"I’m forecasting a high temperature of 77 here in Atlanta," said FOX 5 Storm Team meteorologist Alex Forbes regarding Saturday's peak heat.  However, the stability will not last. "By the time we get to Monday morning, I’m expecting storms in metro Atlanta and North Georgia," Forbes noted, adding that "several of those could be on the stronger side with some damaging wind gusts upwards of 60 miles an hour."

Timeline:

A powerful line of storms will march across the state beginning in the early morning hours of Monday.

• Sunday morning: Isolated showers may begin to squeeze out early.
• Sunday afternoon: Scattered storms develop as the main system moves through Tennessee and Mississippi.
• Monday (around 1 a.m.): The main line of severe storms enters Northwest Georgia, moving out of the area around 8 a.m. "It's not going to storm at your house that entire time, instead it will likely only be about 30-minutes in that window of time," Forbes said. 
• Monday afternoon: Precipitation ends as temperatures begin to drop quickly.

Why you should care:

Regional impacts vary significantly across the area. In the north, Blue Ridge has already seen temperatures fall below freezing while Atlanta remained near 49 degrees to start Saturday. As the front moves through Monday, the FOX 5 Storm Team suggests rainfall will be steady, eventually tapering off to a possible "stray flake" in some areas as the cold air rushes in. No significant accumulation or impact is expected from any wintry mix.

The primary hazards with this system involve the potential for property damage and travel disruptions. The FOX 5 Storm Team warns of damaging wind gusts reaching 60 mph, which can down trees and power lines. Additionally, there is a "brief spin-up tornado threat" along the leading line of the storms. Following the rain, the rapid freeze could lead to wind chills in the teens and 20s by Tuesday morning, posing a risk to those unprepared for the sudden return of winter.

"It looks that a tornado or two, somewhere in the southeast, could have enough energy to push EF-2 status before it's all said and done. Not necessarily a guarantee, but the ingredients will be present for a situation like that," according to Forbes.  

What's next:

After the severe weather threat clears Monday morning, the region will experience a brief but intense "winter chill" for St. Patrick's Day. This cold snap will be short-lived, with a significant warmup expected by the end of the week just in time for the first day of spring.