Georgia Weather: Winter Storm Watch Upgraded To Warning

PEACHTREE CITY, GA — A winter storm watch for much of north Georgia was upgraded to a warning Thursday afternoon, with the National Weather Service calling for as much as four inches of snow in parts of metro Atlanta.

A winter storm warning is issued generally within 36 hours of a weather event, when at least two inches of snow, a half-inch of sleet or a quarter-inch of freezing rain is in the forecast.

As the day wore on Thursday, forecasts began calling for progressively lower temperatures this weekend and higher chances of freezing precipitation. By mid-afternoon, meteorologists were saying the most likely scenario is for rain and snow Friday afternoon to be replaced by all snow Friday night and Saturday morning.

"Winter Is Coming," the NWS posted on a weather map that nods to the HBO medieval-fantasy series "Game of Thrones."

The Winter Storm Warning runs from 4 p.m. Friday through 1 p.m. Saturday.

Snow accumulations of 2-4 inches are forecast for a region covering mostly everywhere in Georgia north of the line from Hamilton to Forsyth to Lexington, in middle Georgia. Some areas may see even more, the service said.

The situation is expected to truly touch off Friday evening, when a mix of rain and snow is expected to gradually become all snow by midnight.

The snow is predicted to end, starting in the west, by late Friday night or early Saturday morning. But Saturday's temperatures are predicted to get below freezing, meaning whatever hits the ground will likely stick.

On Thursday afternoon, the NWS forecast for Atlanta called for a 40 percent chance of rain and snow early Friday, morphing into a 70 percent chance of snow by Friday night. That chance increases to 80 percent by early Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, the low temperature Friday night is expected to drop to 25 degrees. The high Saturday should only get up to about 33 degrees, dipping back down to 20 on Saturday night.

A pair of weather systems are coming together to lead to the wintry storm. A low pressure front is moving across the northern Gulf of Mexico, pushing moisture northward into the Atlanta area.

Meanwhile, a cold front is moving in from the northwest, hitting on the heels of the low pressure front just in time to turn all that precipitation into snow and ice.

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency on Thursday was warning north Georgia residents to prepare for the winter storm. The agency was urging people to have enough food and other supplies on hand to stay in their homes for three days if needed.

Residents are also encouraged to have a "ready kit" in their vehicles which includes an ice scraper, car phone charger, warm clothing and food, a flashlight, jumper cables, a first aid kit and sand or cat litter for traction.

So, does this mean Atlanta is in for another "Snowpocalypse," like the storm that froze roadways and left motorists stranded for hours in 2014?

The Weather Channel meteorologist Maria LaRosa notes some key differences.

"One thing Atlanta has going for us that differs a lot from the past few snow events is timing," LaRosa said. "This time around it's coming later on a Friday, leading into the weekend. So you won't have as many people on the roads and parents won't need to go to get their kids out of school early.

"When you talk about forecasting, you can forecast numbers but human behavior is always the X factor."

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