First-ever Extreme Cold Warning issued for Metro Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta issued its first-ever Extreme Cold Warning on Monday, January 20, 2025, as dangerously cold conditions swept across the region, marking a historic moment for the National Weather Service’s alert system.
Image credit: NWS/CPC
Atlanta’s first-ever Extreme Cold Warning was issued on Monday, January 20, alongside a Cold Weather Advisory for the region. This marks the first winter when the National Weather Service (NWS) has used these two alerts.
The alerts were issued as a bitterly cold air mass moved from Siberia into the United States, causing unusually cold and breezy conditions. These conditions are expected to produce dangerously cold wind chills on Monday morning across Georgia.
The Extreme Cold Warning will remain in effect through Monday noon in the Atlanta Metro area, Trenton, Dalton, Ellijay, Blairsville, Cleveland, Canton, Rome, Gainesville, and Carrollton. The remaining areas will remain under the Cold Weather Advisory.
Temperatures in the warning area could feel as cold as 0 °F (−17.8 °C) or lower at times.
Areas outside the Extreme Cold Warning could experience frigid wind chills ranging from −10 °C (15 °F) to the single digits. For these areas, a Cold Weather Advisory has been issued.
The goal of these alerts is to simplify the system of watches, warnings, and advisories. These alerts are issued when temperatures or wind chill values approach specific thresholds.
An Extreme Cold Warning is issued when temperatures or wind chill values drop below −17.8 °C (0 °F). Meanwhile, the Cold Weather Advisory will remain in effect for other regions.
A Winter Storm Watch has also been issued for several regions. It will remain in effect from 10:00 local time (LT) on Tuesday, January 21, to 07:00 LT on Wednesday, January 22.
Regions under the Winter Storm Watch could see snow accumulation of up to 5 cm (2 inches) and the possibility of 1.27 mm (0.05 inches) of ice in some areas.
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
First-ever Extreme Cold Warning issued for Metro Atlanta, Georgia is because this term was previously call ” a wind chill warning!” Trust me, we have seen much colder conditions in the past.