Northeast Georgia could experience a wintery mix of snow, sleet and ice this weekend, but WDUN Meteorologist John Wetherbee said it all comes down to the timing of cold air.
Wetherbee said the two things he can guarantee northeast Georgians will feel this weekend are wind and cold air.
The timing of that cold air will be the most important factor when it comes to the possibility of winter precipitation. Wetherbee said there are two main possibilities, as there will already be a patch of moisture in place over the region Saturday night and into Sunday.
"Whether that cold air is able to catch up with [the] moisture ... and create a wintery, snowy event with lots of icy roads and dangerous travel conditions," Wetherbee said. "Or, whether that cold gets delayed just a bit. So not much snow, maybe still some icy conditions."
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for most of northeast Georgia, including Banks, Dawson, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Towns and White counties, from Saturday evening through late Sunday night.
Wetherbee said additional watches or advisories could be issued soon, and they will likely be upgraded heading into Saturday night.
Those watches and advisories will likely get upgraded on Saturday as forecasters begin to understand the full extent of what northeast Georgia may experience.
"You need to be preparing for the possibility of winter weather with this event that's on the way," Wetherbee said.
