A Freeze Warning is in effect for portions of Metro Atlanta beginning at 1am Friday morning, and the Freeze Warning is in effect through 8am.
However, some of the Metro Atlanta counties -- including Paulding, Bartow and Cherokee -- are not part of the Freeze Warning, even though I am forecasting morning lows in the mid 20s for them tomorrow morning.
The rest of the Metro is in that Freeze Warning. But why?
This is because the “Freeze Warning” is an agricultural forecast product. The Freeze Warning signals the end of the growing season for farmers, orchards, plant nurseries, etc. The end of the growing season occurred for Paulding, Bartow and Cherokee back in mid-October when temperatures fell to the upper 20s for that portion of Metro Atlanta, and the low 30s for central and south Metro Atlanta. The Public Information Statement below from the National Weather Service in Peachtree City goes into detail regarding the Freeze Warning issued in mid-October.
Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
357 PM EDT Thu Oct 20 2022
...End of Frost/Freeze Program for the Season Across Portions of
North Georgia...
Due to temperatures reaching at or below 28 degrees Fahrenheit
across much of northern Georgia, the following counties have been
removed from the frost/freeze program for the rest of the fall
season:
Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray, Gilmer, Fannin, Union,
Towns, White, Lumpkin, Dawson, Pickens, Gordon, Chattooga, Floyd,
Bartow, Cherokee, Polk, Paulding, Haralson, and Carroll.
Reaching this temperature represents a "hard freeze" that
effectively ends the growing season in these locations for the
fall. Products in these counties will resume again during the
Spring of 2023.
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Below is additional information regarding the Freeze Warning in effect for Friday morning.
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
415 AM EST THU NOV 17 2022
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF GAINESVILLE, MARIETTA, ATLANTA,
LAWRENCEVILLE, ATHENS, DOUGLASVILLE, EAST POINT, DECATUR,
CONYERS, COVINGTON, NEWNAN, PEACHTREE CITY, GRIFFIN,
MILLEDGEVILLE, MACON, SWAINSBORO, COLUMBUS, WARNER ROBINS,
DUBLIN, LUMPKIN, AMERICUS, CORDELE, AND VIDALIA
415 AM EST THU NOV 17 2022
...FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 8 AM EST FRIDAY...
* WHAT...SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES AS LOW AS 27 EXPECTED.
* WHERE...PORTIONS OF CENTRAL, EAST CENTRAL, NORTH CENTRAL,
NORTHEAST, SOUTHEAST AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA.
* WHEN...FROM 1 AM TO 8 AM EST FRIDAY.
* IMPACTS...FROST AND FREEZE CONDITIONS WILL KILL CROPS, OTHER
SENSITIVE VEGETATION AND POSSIBLY DAMAGE UNPROTECTED OUTDOOR
PLUMBING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TAKE STEPS NOW TO PROTECT TENDER PLANTS FROM THE COLD. TO PREVENT
FREEZING AND POSSIBLE BURSTING OF OUTDOOR WATER PIPES THEY SHOULD
BE WRAPPED, DRAINED, OR ALLOWED TO DRIP SLOWLY. THOSE THAT HAVE
IN-GROUND SPRINKLER SYSTEMS SHOULD DRAIN THEM AND COVER ABOVE-
GROUND PIPES TO PROTECT THEM FROM FREEZING.
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Chilly temperatures continue through this weekend! Freezing cold morning lows are in the forecast through next week.