The National Weather Service is advising that a second round of cold will arrive in the Deep South and Southeast on Friday, impacting many of the same people who have just been hit by Winter Storm Fern. Cold records could fall from Oklahoma to the Carolinas.
According to forecasts, high temperatures will struggle to get above freezing on Saturday, even for places like Montgomery, Alabama and Columbus, Georgia.
Light snow is being forecast for the Upstate.
The National Weather Service has issued a WINTER STORM WARNING which will remain in effect from 4 pm Friday afternoon to 7 am Sunday.
Heavy snow is expected. Total snow accumulations between 4 and 7 inches. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph.
The warning includes Northeast Georgia, the foothills and Piedmont of North Carolina, and Upstate South Carolina.
The heavy snow will make many roads impassable and may produce isolated power outages due to the weight of the snow on tree limbs and power lines. The hazardous conditions could impact the Friday evening commute.
Snow is expected to rapidly stick to roads and other surfaces due to temperatures in the 20s. Travel conditions could deteriorate rapidly as early as Friday evening. Very gusty winds on Saturday could result in areas of blowing snow, causing very poor visibility.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS – Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation. Slow down and use caution while traveling. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.
Lows are expected to bottom out Sunday morning when temperatures will drop into the teens as far south as New Orleans and the Florida Panhandle. Widespread temperatures will drop into the teens and single digits for places in and around Atlanta, Greenville, Charlotte and Nashville.
Morning wind chills in the South are forecast to stay in the single digits and teens for many places. Atlanta could wake up on Sunday morning with a wind chill of only 5 degrees.
Pictured Boiter Road, Williamston on Jan. 25
