Some of the coldest air metro Atlanta has seen in about a year is on the way, bringing a chance for snow flurries later this week.
Temperatures will be so low Monday evening that warming centers will open, including some sites that will be accessible around-the-clock.
Ahead of sunrise Monday, temperatures were in the mid 50s. But as the day wears on, temps will plummet, so grab your heavy winter coat, hat and gloves as you head out the door. By 5 p.m., we’ll be in the mid 30s.
“But it’s going to feel even colder than that,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said.
Gusty conditions are expected Monday. With 10 to 20 mph sustained winds and gusts up to 35 mph, the wind chill will make temps feel more like the 20s.
A wind advisory is in effect for much of the state through 7 a.m. Tuesday.
“Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,” the National Weather Service warns.
Water remaining on the roads from the Monday morning rain could lead to black ice, the NWS advised. Use extra caution while driving.
The punishing cold comes as much of the country experiences what the Weather Service described as a “disruptive winter storm.” For example, parts of Kansas and Indiana were warned to brace for the potential of “the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade.” In the Central Plains, motorists were cautioned that “whiteout conditions will make driving dangerous to impossible and raise the risk of becoming stranded.”
Through much of the week, highs are expected to top out in the 40s in metro Atlanta before dropping back into the 20s for lows. Wind-chill values those days will be in the teens, and even colder air is coming next.
Arctic air is moving south from Canada, reaching Georgia by about Friday, Channel 2 chief meteorologist Brad Nitz said.
“With the lingering cold air mass in place, some level of frozen precipitation likely remains on the docket for at least portions of the area,” the NWS reports. “Details, however, still remain elusive at this point as we are still several days removed from this event.”
“While these conditions certainly won’t threaten any records, it will still be the coldest temperatures in about a year,” the agency previously said.
The chance for snow in metro Atlanta remains uncertain, but far North Georgia should get some flurries and may even see about an inch of accumulation later this week, the Weather Service advised.
Trending social media posts that circulated recently forecast the blast of arctic air would bring significant snowfall with it. But the NWS urged caution when trying to predict weather patterns so far in advance — especially in a state that rarely has snowy winters, beyond the occasional flurry.
The city of Atlanta will open a warming center from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday at Central Park Recreation Center at 400 Merritts Ave.
In DeKalb, four warming centers will be open 24 hours a day starting at 8 p.m. Monday until further notice. They include:
» Frontline Response International at 2585 Gresham Road;
» Tobie Grant Recreation Center at 593 Parkdale Drive;
» Mason Mill Recreation Center at 1340 McConnell Drive;
» Exchange Recreation Center at 2771 Columbia Drive.
An overnight warming center will be available at the North DeKalb Senior/Community Center, located at 3393 Malone Drive.
Gwinnett’s warming stations will open Monday and Tuesday evenings starting at 6 p.m. They include:
» Buford Senior Center at 2755 Sawnee Avenue;
» Shorty Howell Park Activity Building at 2750 Pleasant Hill Road;
» Best Friend Park Gym at 6224 Jimmy Carter Boulevard;
» Centerville Senior Center at 3025 Bethany Church Road;
» Lawrenceville Senior Center at 225 Benson Street.
In Cobb County, MUST Ministries will open its winter weather shelter nightly from Monday through Friday. Those looking to spend the night should check in by 8 p.m., the organization said. Dinner and a hot breakfast will be served. The shelter is located at 1297 Bells Ferry Road in Marietta.
