ATLANTA — North Georgia will get a short winter chill this weekend, and temperatures should rebound by the end of next week. The bigger story is the chance of a truly Arctic air mass arriving Thanksgiving week, driven by the polar vortex. The latest European model shows morning lows running 17 to 21 degrees below normal by November 24, with some spots even colder.
Weekend Chill Before a Brief Rebound
This weekend’s cold will give residents an early taste of winter, with chilly mornings across the region. Temperatures are then expected to rebound toward the end of next week, bringing a short stretch of milder weather. That break could end quickly as the next major pattern change takes shape.
The air expected for Thanksgiving week would be much colder than this weekend’s chill. Forecasters say confidence is growing that the cold will arrive in some form. The main questions now are the exact timing and how deep the cold air gets once it settles over the Southeast.
Mountains Could See the Deepest Cold
The North Georgia mountains show some of the biggest departures from normal in the latest model run. Clayton sits near 23 degrees below normal, Ellijay about 21 below, and Hiawassee and Jasper near 20 below. Just across the state line, Highlands shows a departure of about 22 degrees below normal.
At those levels, morning lows in the teens are possible in the mountains, a serious cold for late November. Dahlonega, Dalton and Calhoun sit around 19 degrees below normal. Toccoa and Lafayette come in near 18 below, putting much of northwest and northeast Georgia firmly in the cold.
Metro Atlanta and Beyond Feel the Freeze
The cold extends well past the mountains into the metro area and surrounding counties. Atlanta, Stonecrest, South Fulton, Cartersville and Carrollton all show departures near 19 degrees below normal. Bremen stands out at about 21 below, and Canton, Rome, Stockbridge and Monroe sit near 18 below…