Georgia Weather: When Will The Freeze Break?

ATLANTA, GA — There was no significant new snowfall and no precipitation to put more ice on metro Atlanta roads overnight. But, like much of north and central Georgia, the area was still in a deep freeze Thursday morning.

Schools, government buildings and many businesses were shut down for the second day in much of metro Atlanta on Thursday, after a winter storm dumped snow and ice on the area Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The problem, then, was that Wednesday's temperatures never got above freezing, meaning that the precipitation that froze on the ground — including roadways — never got a chance to thaw out.

State and local emergency officials urged drivers to stay off of Atlanta-area roads on Wednesday. And, based on the results for those who tried, that turned out to be good advice.

In Atlanta alone, police had worked 196 traffic crashes by 5:46 p.m. on Wednesday. Fourteen of those involved injuries, including one in which a police officer was hit by a parked SUV after a motorist skidding on ice slammed into it.

Thursday morning, the Georgia Department of Transportation was warning drivers to continue to use "extreme caution" if they have to get on the roads. But there is hope on the way. After more than two days, metro Atlanta is expected to finally get above freezing on Thursday.

So, the question becomes, when will the freeze break? The short answer is, some time early Thursday afternoon. Here's an hour-by-hour look at the forecast temperatures and wind chills for metro Atlanta, from the National Weather Service.

Take a look to see when it will be safe to get out and about on Thursday.

9 a.m. Temperature: 22, Wind Chill: 12

10 a.m. Temperature: 25, Wind Chill: 16

11 a.m. Temperature: 29, Wind Chill: 21

Noon: Temperature: 33, Wind Chill: 26

1 p.m. Temperature: 37, Wind Chill: 30

2 p.m. Temperature: 39, Wind Chill: 33

3 p.m. Temperature: 40, Wind Chill: 35

4 p.m. Temperature: 40, Wind Chill: 35

5 p.m. Temperature: 39, Wind Chill: 33

6 p.m. Temperature: 37, Wind Chill: 31

7 p.m. Temperature: 34, Wind Chill: 28

8 p.m. Temperature: 32, Wind Chill; 26

9 p.m. Temperature: 30, Wind Chill: 24

10 p.m. Temperature: 29, Wind Chill: 23

11 p.m. Temperature: 28, Wind Chill: 22

Midnight Temperature: 27, Wind Chill: 21

Also Watch: What Is Black Ice and How Can You Avoid It?