Will the polar vortex bring GA sub-freezing weather, snow soon? Here’s the forecast
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around Georgia and we may have some freezing temperatures to match. And if you’re hoping for snow, this weekend could be your best bet.
Here’s what to know about the forecast this weekend:
Is the polar vortex bringing cold weather to GA?
According to a social media post on the National Weather Service (NWS) Atlanta page on Dec. 7, the NWS said to look out for Arctic temperatures coming this weekend, but the overall reach of that blast is unknown.
“There will be some colder temps coming down from Canada, but we are not expecting them to reach down into GA this weekend. Right now we are not forecasting the extreme low temps like you will see for areas further north this weekend (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota),” said Vaughn Smith, a forecaster with the NWS in Peachtree City on Dec. 9.
Other NWS models note temperatures dipping to around 40 Friday and Saturday, with a colder dip on Sunday night (high 20s to low 30s).
What do other weather experts say?
AccuWeather experts predict a much colder day on Saturday and Sunday as cold air blasts through the country.
“The polar vortex has been in a weakened and stretched state since late November,” AccuWeather lead long-range meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. “We are seeing the result as Arctic air pushes southward across the central and eastern U.S. in recent days and may continue to do so for the next couple of weeks or so in waves.”
However, it doesn’t look like snow in Georgia is part of the forecast for now. Here’s the local forecast for Macon and Columbus areas:
In Macon: On Saturday, highs around 65 and lows in the 40s with some sunshine. On Sunday, the high will be around 58 with lows in the mid-20s, but still sunny.
In Columbus: On Saturday, highs will be around the high 60s and lows around 42, with plenty of sunshine. On Sunday, it will be mostly sunny with highs around 57 and lows around 27.
What other questions do you have? Let me know in the comments or email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com
