Snow, Below-Freezing Temps To Chill GA

ATLANTA, GA — While snow could freeze north Georgia, weather officials told Patch that rain could dampen metro Atlanta early Wednesday.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for the north Georgia mountains, including in Ringgold, Dalton and Blairsville, the National Weather Service's Nikole Listemaa told Patch.

The snow, which could accumulate to half an inch or less before sunrise, is not expected to fall until after 1 a.m. Wednesday. The NWS reported the snow could hang around into the evening.

Listemaa said few flakes could sneak into metro Atlanta, where rainfall amounts of possibly a quarter of an inch are anticipated. Rain chances in the metro will increase after 2 a.m. Wednesday.

The rain should begin to clear out after 2 p.m.; but by Thursday, breezy conditions could arrive into the metro, Listemaa said. Wind gusts could reach 25-30 mph.

Below-freezing temperatures this week could make way for a cooler weekend, Listemaa said. The NWS forecasted lows in the 20s, starting Wednesday night.

The predicted wintry weather comes as a snowstorm is expected to blanket other parts of the East Coast, particularly the mid-Atlantic, AccuWeather reported. Ice accumulation and power outages could be concerning for Georgia's neighboring states.

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

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 55. Calm wind.

Tonight: A 10 percent chance of showers after 5 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph after midnight.

Wednesday: Showers, mainly before 3 p.m. High near 46. Northeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: A 10 percent chance of showers before 7 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. Northwest wind 5-15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

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

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 20.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 45.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 52.

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

Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.