Two Cold Weather Advisories have been issued by the National Weather Service for Cobb County and other counties in north and central Georgia. 

The first is effective Thursday, Feb. 20, through 10 a.m. this morning, and the second is from 10 p.m. Thursday through Friday morning.  

Wind chills are expected to reach single digits in north Georgia, and the low single-digits for central Georgia. 

What is in the statement?

The statement gives the following details:

…COLD WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM

EST FRIDAY…

…COLD WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST THIS

MORNING…

* WHAT…For the first Cold Weather Advisory, very cold wind chills

  as low as 4 above in north Georgia and 12 above in central

  Georgia. For the second Cold Weather Advisory, very cold wind

  chills as low as 3 above in north Georgia and 10 above in central

  Georgia.

* WHERE…Portions of central, east central, north central,

  northeast, northwest, southeast, and west central Georgia.

* WHEN…For the first Cold Weather Advisory, until 10 AM EST this

  morning. For the second Cold Weather Advisory, from 10 PM this

  evening to 10 AM EST Friday.

* IMPACTS…Wind chill values can lead to hypothermia with prolonged

  exposure.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a

hat, and gloves.

Keep pets indoors as much as possible.

What counties and cities are affected?

The following counties are included in the hazardous weather outlook:

Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Bleckley, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Chattahoochee, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Crawford, Crisp, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Dodge, Dooly, Douglas, Emanuel, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Glascock, Gordon, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Hancock, Haralson, Harris, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Laurens, Lumpkin, Macon, Madison, Marion, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Newton, North Fulton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Rockdale, Schley, South Fulton, Spalding, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taliaferro, Taylor, Telfair, Terrell, Toombs, Treutlen, Troup, Twiggs, Union, Upson, Walker, Walton, Warren, Washington, Webster, Wheeler, White, Whitfield, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson

Including the cities of:

Abbeville, Americus, Athens, Atlanta, Barnesville, Blairsville, Blue Ridge, Bremen, Buena Vista, Butler, Calhoun, Carrollton, Cartersville, Cedartown, Chatsworth, Cleveland, Cochran, Columbus, Comer, Commerce, Conyers, Cordele, Crawford, Crawfordville, Cumming, Dallas, Dalton, Dahlonega, Dawsonville, Decatur, Dublin, Douglasville, East Point, Eastman, Eatonton, Ellaville, Ellijay, Fort Moore, Fort Oglethorpe, Fort Valley, Franklin, Gainesville, Gibson, Gray, Greensboro, Griffin, Hiawassee, Hawkinsville, Homer, Jackson, Jasper, Jeffersonville, LaFayette, Lawrenceville, Louisville, Lumpkin, Macon, Madison, Manchester, Marietta, McRae, Milledgeville, Monroe, Montezuma, Monticello, Mount Vernon, Newnan, Peachtree City, Pine Mountain, Preston, Riverdale, Roberts, Rome, Sandersville, Soperton, Sparta, Stockbridge, Summerville, Swainsboro, Talbotton, Thomaston, Toomsboro, Vidalia, Warner Robins, Warrenton, Washington, Watkinsville, West Point, Winder, Woodstock, Wrightsville, Zebulon

What is wind chill?

The National Weather Service defines wind chill as follows:

The wind chill temperature is how cold people and animals feel when outside. Wind chill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by wind and cold. As the wind increases, it draws heat from the body, driving down skin temperature and eventually the internal body temperature.

About the National Weather Service

The National Weather Service (NWS) is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The NWS describes its role as follows:

“The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, water, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. 

“These services include Forecasts and Observations, Warnings, Impact-based Decision Support Services, and Education in an effort to build a Weather-Ready Nation. The ultimate goal is to have a society that is prepared for and responds to weather, water and climate events.”

>>> Read all the Cobb County Courier climate and weather coverage by following this link.