Some merrily sing out “Let it snow!” at the suggestion that metro Atlanta could get up to 1 foot of snow as a cold front surges across the U.S. next week.
Others shiver and hope the viral predictions are wrong.
Trending social media posts circulating this week are forecasting that a blast of arctic air will bring significant snowfall with it. But the National Weather Service urged caution when trying to predict weather patterns this far out — especially in a state that rarely has snowy winters beyond the occasional flurry.
“Nailing down just the temperature forecast is difficult this far out, and snow in the south is delicate — requiring precision within a degree or two,” the Weather Service based in Peachtree City posted this week. “It does look like we’re trending toward a very cold start to the New Year and the month of January.”
Even if snow is unlikely, next week will likely bring Georgia the coldest air of the season thus far.
An “arctic outbreak” will blast into much of the U.S., bringing below-freezing temperatures into Georgia and as far south as Florida, current predictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center show.
If the expected weather patterns come to fruition, and if there is increased moisture in the air, the South could get some snow. Some rain is expected Sunday during much of the day and overnight into Monday morning in metro Atlanta and other parts of North Georgia, but temperatures will be in the high 30s and mid-40s, which is not favorable for snowy conditions, according to the NWS.
Still, it’s way too early to know for sure if, when and how much snow we could see, the Weather Service experts said.
Still, many Georgians on social media are closely following any mention of snowfall — some hopeful and others fearful of another “Snowmageddon.”
A January winter storm brought snow to metro Atlanta and traffic to a standstill in 2014, leaving some motorists stranded on the interstates. Just 2.6 inches of snow fell, but more than 1,000 crashes were reported.
Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan posted to Facebook urging people to be wary of snowfall predictions so early when model data is shifting. Experts won’t be able to make solid forecasts for next week’s potential for snow until later this week, he said.
“There is an elevated risk for the potential for snow in this pattern as well, but that does not mean it will happen,” he said in the post. “I just don’t want anyone to get their hopes up too early based on one run of one model!”
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