Get Ready for Arctic Blast

Stephens County and northeast Georgia are both getting ready for an arctic blast to move in today.

State Climatologist Bill Murphey said a very strong arctic high pressure system is moving in and bringing with it, very cold temperatures beginning later today.

“We are getting flow from the arctic coming straight down and it is going to dip into the deep South,” said Murphey, who said today and Thursday will be the coldest days with tonight being the coldest night.

Winds are expected to increase to 15 to 20 miles per hour today and tonight, with gusts stronger than that, and low temperatures are expected to dip to around 15 degrees.

A wind chill advisory is in effect later tonight, from midnight through 9 a.m. Thursday.

Thursday, temperatures are not forecast to get out of the lower 30s.

Murphey said there is a bit of good news.

“It is not going to be a long-lived event,” said Murphey.

While lows will stay in the 20s for the next several days, high temperatures are forecast to be back in the lower 40s by Friday.