Freezing Rain Could Accompany Friday's Below Normal Cold

Temperatures will be well below normal on Friday, so even if we don't get the freezing rain or sleet that's in the National Weather Service forecast, you'll still want to be bundled up. The high forecast for Friday is 36 degrees, not much above freezing. But with wind gusts up to 15 mph, it will feel even colder.

Freezing rain and sleet are likely before 4 p.m. on Friday, then rain is likely. The chance of precipitation is 60 percent. An east wind of 5 to 10 mph will become light south in the afternoon.

Freezing Rain: Rain that falls as a liquid but freezes into glaze upon contact with the ground. National Weather Service glossary

A chance of freezing rain begins late Thursday night, with it switching to a chance of freezing rain and sleet after 2 a.m. The overnight low is expected to be 28 degrees.

The National Weather Service's hazardous weather outlook for Midtown and the rest of north and central Georgia blames both an Arctic airmass and moisture from the west and southwest for the chance of freezing rain and sleet.

"An Arctic airmass will be moving into the eastern half of the United States on Thursday, setting up a cold air wedge across north and central Georgia. At the same time moisture from the west and southwest is expected to rise up and over the cold air at the surface," the hazardous weather outlook states. These ingredients will set the stage for possible freezing rain and sleet overnight Thursday night through Friday morning.

Anyone north of a line from La Grange to Macon to Dublin will be in an area with the potential for some travel impacts from either freezing rain or sleet on Friday. But as we saw last week, that could pan out, so check back on Patch and with your weather forecast.

Wondering if the weather will affect your children's school schedule? Once a decision has been made from the central office to close school due to inclement weather, local radio and televison channels will broadcast this information.