METRO ATLANTA, GA — Meteorologists encourage trick-or-treaters Tuesday to grab a jacket on their way out of the door as the forecast calls for cold temperatures in the morning and evening hours of Halloween.
A cold and dry air mass entering metro Atlanta from the Plains will drop temperatures in the area, said Ansley Long, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Peachtree City office.
Long told Patch temperatures Tuesday morning are expected to be in the upper 40s, gradually warming up into the upper 50s and lower 60s during the afternoon, before dropping to the upper and mid-40s.
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“Definitely grab a jacket,” she said. “It will be chilly.”
Aside from the cool weather, Long said there is a 10 percent chance for rain Tuesday morning. No rain is expected in the afternoon or evening.
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Long also said wind gusts of at least 25 mph, which can knock down loose or dead limbs, is expected Tuesday into early Wednesday morning.
Once Halloween passes, metro Atlanta residents will be placed under a freeze watch from 2-10 a.m. Wednesday due to temperatures as low as 23 degrees in the northeast Georgia mountains. According to the alert, sub-freezing temperatures as low as 28 degrees are possible.
The watch will be issued for several counties, including: Bartow, Cherokee, Forsyth, Paulding, Hall, Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Barrow, Clarke, Oconee, Douglas and DeKalb.
“These will be some of the coldest temperatures that we’ve seen so far this fall,” Long said.
She advised residents to relocate outdoor plants that may be sensitive to cold temperatures indoors and protect outdoor plumbing to prevent pipes from bursting. She also asked people to be mindful of their pets.
Once the freeze watch lifts at 10 a.m., Long said temperatures in the 20s is expected to remain north of the Interstate 85 corridor. For areas south of the corridor, temperatures could be around freezing but will warm up to lows in the 50s.
“It’s not going to warm up too much,” Long said. “It’ll be a big change for us.”
The overnight hours into Thursday morning will see similar weather as temperatures will hover near freezing but eventually warm up Thursday through the weekend.
Metro Atlanta could see “some critical fire weather conditions Wednesday,” Long said.
She added the weather service does not advise residents to burn fires in the next couple of days due to the dry air mass, low fuel moistures from drought conditions and winds.
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