Emergency Warming Centers Open In Atlanta In Anticipation of Frigid Temperatures

ATLANTA, GA — With cold weather expected for much of the rest of the week, Atlanta officials are making provisions for those without a warm place to sleep overnight.

The City of Atlanta will open two emergency warming shelters Wednesday night from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. at the Old Adamsville Recreation Center at 3404 Delmar Lane NW, and at the Central Park Recreation Center at 400 Merritts Ave. NE.

The city will provide transportation from the Gateway Center at 275 Pryor St. SW, beginning at 8 p.m.

The National Weather Service is forecasting temperatures dropping below freezing Wednesday night and again on Friday and Saturday nights.

An intense storm that is expected to blanket the Northeast with snow and wind this weekend will also send frigid air and send temperatures plunging below freezing as far south as the Florida Everglades, AccuWeather forecasters said.

Expect to see temperatures slide into the 20s (Farenheight) Friday night and remain in the 30s through Saturday. Saturday night, AccuWeather predicts temperatures in most of the Southeast, from Mississippi all the way to southern parts of Florida, could sit at or well below freezing.

Of course, colder temperatures are forecast further north, with numbers dropping to the mid-20s Tuesday and Wednesday up near Rome and in higher elevations.

Mostly clear skies, however, mean little chance of precipitation and the resulting hazards that follow. That also means less insulation from the cold winter night sky, hence the hyper-frigid temperatures.

Here's the latest look ahead to the weekend forecast for the Atlanta region from the National Weather Service:

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 29. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 52. East wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35. Southeast wind around 5 mph.

Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. Light and variable wind becoming northwest 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 21. Northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 35.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 22.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 50.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 30.

Check back at Patch.com for updates.