Arctic Blast To Sink GA Temps Into Teens: Latest Forecast

Kids waiting at the bus stops early next week may want to bundle up as the coldest Arctic blast yet is expected to drop temperatures below freezing in Georgia.

Patch on Friday spoke with National Weather Service meteorologist Vaughn Smith, who said the brush of cold air will travel down from Canada and the Great Lakes on Sunday. The weather service predicted temperatures as low as 29 degrees.

Smith warned Monday morning temperatures could reach the teens in metro Atlanta, but by the afternoon, residents can expect temperatures in the 40s. This may be short-lived, though, because temperatures could plummet by nightfall.

Morning lows on Tuesday will be in the lower 20s, causing a below-freezing commute.

The arrival of Tuesday afternoon will return temperatures to the 50s before they drop to the 30s on Wednesday morning, normal behavior this time of the year in Georgia, Smith said. The remainder of the week will be warmer.

The impending Arctic blast may be the coldest one, yet, both Smith and AccuWeather said. The last blast in Georgia came before Thanksgiving, when temperatures reached the 20s, Smith said.

Earlier in the week, AccuWeather reported the blast was due to a polar vortex that is predicted to chill the East Coast.

The polar vortex — "a large upper-level, low-pressure area or circulation" that sits above the Arctic Circle — could travel from central Canada into the Midwest and the East Coast, AccuWeather reported.

A frail polar vortex can force cold air to move south, but the freezing air stays in the Northern Hemisphere with a stronger version of the storm, according to AccuWeather.

RELATED: Polar Vortex, Arctic Blast To Freeze GA: See Timing

"Try and stay warm," Smith said.

He advised wearing protective clothing, such as scarves and gloves, and bringing outside pets inside the home. He also suggested residents care for outdoors pipes and plants.

Metro Atlanta may have light rain on Saturday night into Sunday morning, but Smith said no major storms are expected.

Here is the National Weather Service's Friday morning forecast for metro Atlanta:

Today: Sunny, with a high near 61. West wind 5-10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 41. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Southwest wind 5-10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 44. Northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 18.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 41.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 24.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 52.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 58.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.

Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 63.