ATLANTA — It's Winter Weather Preparedness Week across the state of Georgia. From Monday, December 2nd through Friday, December 6th, take the opportunity to familiarize yourself with how the winter months can bring active weather to the region and how to keep yourself, your family, and your home protected from winter threats.
One of the biggest changes to winter messaging this year will be the transition to new Cold Weather Alerts. Wind Chill Warnings and Advisories are a thing of the past. Starting this winter, the National Weather Service will consolidate its cold weather messaging because it doesn't take winds to create dangerous cold.
When the temperature or wind chill reaches between 1 and 10 degrees, a Cold Weather Advisory will be issued for the metro Atlanta area. This is a replacement for the previous Wind Chill Advisory. If the forecast temperature or wind chill drops to 0 or below, an Extreme Cold Warning/Warning will be issued.
The criteria for the Mountains and Central/Southern Georgia differ from those for the metro Atlanta area.
The forecast wind chill or temperature must be between -4 and +5 in the mountains for the Cold Weather Advisory to be issued. For central Georgia, that threshold is between 6 and 15 degrees.
Extreme Cold Watches/Warnings will be issued when the temperature or wind chill drops to 0 or below in the metro Atlanta area. In the north Georgia mountains, it must be -5 or lower. In central Georgia, that number is 5 degrees or below.
According to the Georgia Emergency Management Association, each day of the campaign will address the following topics:
- Monday, Dec. 2: Winter Weather in Georgia – learn about winter weather hazards that can impact the state of Georgia.
- Tuesday, Dec. 3: Winter Weather Terminology – learn about winter weather "alerts" (watches, warnings and advisories) and what they mean.
- Wednesday, Dec. 4: Winter Weather Preparation Tips – learn how to best prepare for winter weather events, and put together a Ready Kit while making a plan before winter weather strikes.
- Thursday, Dec. 5: Winter Weather Driving Tips/Safety – learn "best practices" for driving (if necessary) in winter weather conditions and how to pack a mobile Ready Kit.
- Friday, Dec. 6: Winter Weather Outlook for 2024-25 season – resources for learning where and how to stay informed of weather forecasts.
You can learn more about types of winter weather that impact north Georgia in our 11 Alive Weather Impact Team Winter Special on 11 Alive +.