GA Weather: Bitter Cold, Windy And Dry In Weekend Forecast

ATLANTA, GA — Frigid temperatures this weekend have opened the door for a number of weather warnings across Georgia from Friday night through Sunday morning, forecasters say.

The National Weather Service is issuing a wind chill advisory for early Saturday in the northernmost counties of North Georgia (a region that extends from Clayton, Fayette and Coweta north) and in the state's mountainous areas and northern metro Atlanta counties.

"That extends down into the very northern edges of the metro, like Cherokee County," National Weather Service meteorologist Dylan Lusk told Patch. "Wind chill values on Saturday morning in those areas will be from 5 to -10 degrees F — feels like temperatures. If you have exposed skin, you need to be careful how long you're out in the open air."

Overnight temperatures Friday into Saturday morning start in the upper 20s, forecasters predict.

"In the metro area we could still see wind chill values of 5-10 degrees," Lusk said. "We will reassess with the afternoon package if we feel like winds will be a little bit stronger."

There is also a wind advisory in effect for Saturday in the mountain counties where gusts of between 25 and 25 mph are expected.

And a fire weather watch — when conditions make for a greater threat of fires spreading — has been issued from sun up until sundown across the region.

"We’re going to have very, very dry air in places and windy conditions," Lusk said. "Combine that with the fact that we haven’t seen too much precipitation in the past couple of weeks. Put all of that together, and you have greater danger for fire spreading."

AccuWeather forecasters predict a strong low-pressure system will develop off the Atlantic coast that will drive freezing Arctic air as far south as Florida.

The coldest temperatures will be Friday night with the Mercury hovering around 20 degrees for much of Metro Atlanta northward. Saturday will remain in the twenties through the night in Georgia, while much of the Southeast, from Mississippi all the way to southern parts of Florida, AccuWeather predicts and could dip well below freezing.

By Sunday, however, expect sunny skies with temperatures rebounding back to the 50s, National Weather Service forecasters say.

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

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22. Northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 36. Northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 23. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 51. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 29.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 57.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36.

Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 57.

Tuesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.

Wednesday: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 57. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Wednesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 51.

Check back at Patch.com for updates.