Extreme cold threatens as North Georgia prepares for Arctic blast this weekend

ATLANTA - North Georgia is bracing for the coldest weather of the season as a powerful blast of Arctic air moves into the region this weekend, bringing plunging temperatures and dangerous wind chills by Sunday.

Before the cold arrives, conditions will remain relatively mild. Clearing skies are expected early Friday, with morning temperatures in the 30s and upper 20s at higher elevations. Sunshine and southwesterly winds will help push highs into the 60s Friday, making it one of the warmer days so far this month.

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Extreme cold in metro Atlanta

What they're saying:

FOX 5 Storm Team meteorologist Alex Forbes said Sunday will mark a sharp shift in conditions, with temperatures falling steadily throughout the day instead of warming.

"Sunday will be the coldest day we've seen so far this season as a powerful blast of arctic air arrives in North and Central Georgia. The numbers you see here are the wind chills at various points throughout the day. It will be one of those weird days when it's warmer in the morning than at night. The air temperature will be steadily dropping through the day, bringing wind chills down with it. By sunset, teens will be possible as far south as metro Atlanta with single digits up across the mountains. In elevations above 3,000', I wouldn't rule out a negative reading as a wind chill."

Arctic blast in north Georgia

What we know:

The Arctic front will push through overnight Saturday into Sunday, with colder temperatures settling in on Sunday and Monday. Lows late Sunday night into Monday morning are expected to fall into the teens across much of north and central Georgia. While temperatures will be cold, forecasters say they should remain above record levels for this time of year.

Rain is expected to move through parts of the state as the front arrives, mainly affecting western Georgia. Forecasters say the precipitation should remain rain, though a brief rain and snow mix is possible in northwest Georgia as temperatures dip into the low 30s. No accumulation is expected.

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Rapid warm-up next week

What's next:

The forecast calls for a rapid warm-up, which is expected during the second half of next week, with chances of rain returning toward the end of the week.