Georgia Weather: Snow 'Likely' For Much of North Georgia, Including Metro Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA — A hazardous weather outlook for metro Atlanta has been issued, as the chance for snow and freezing ice this weekend becomes more likely.

The National Weather Service says there's a chance for "wintry precipitation" across north and portions of central Georgia, mainly late Friday into Saturday.

"At this time, it is too early to determine accumulations and exact areas of rain or snow," the weather service says in the outlook.

The weather forecast calls for cooling temperatures and increasing chances of precipitation over the next few days.

Rain and snow are likely on Friday night, becoming primarily snow after 1 a.m. The high temperature on Friday will only hit 41 degrees, with the low dropping to 29. The chance of precipitation — either snow, rain or both — on Friday night is 60 percent.

There's another 40 percent chance on Saturday, when the high will only get up to 37 degrees. The low Saturday night is forecast to get all the way down to 21.

By Sunday, skies are expected to be clear, even though cold temperatures will continue, with a forecast high of 38 and low of 22.

Meteorologists say a high pressure ridge making its way across the Mississippi and Tennessee river valleys will move slowly into north Georgia Friday morning, bringing precipitation back to the area.

Rain and snow early Friday is only predicted for higher-elevation areas north of the Rome-to-Gainesville line.

But a second wave is expected to move into west Georgia Friday night and Saturday morning. This one will push the area's temperatures down into the 20s and 30s, bringing mixed precipitation as far south as Columbus in the west and Sandersville in the east.

There could be actual accumulations of snow for areas north and west of the Newnan-t0-Gainesville line, though the majority of locations are predicted to get an inch of snow or less.

This second wave is forecast to move rapidly on Saturday, leaving the area by Saturday evening. High pressure is expected to build back up, keeping the metro Atlanta area dry.

Graphic courtesy National Weather Service