Georgia Map Shows Counties Facing Freeze When Polar Vortex Strikes

North and central Georgia are set for freezing temperatures in January, as shown on a map, due to a polar vortex forecast to push frigid winds across the country.

Why It Matters

After one of the warmest Decembers on record in much of the northern United States, the polar vortex could bring severe weather conditions that could affect travel safety and disrupt daily activities.

Vulnerable groups, such as young infants and senior citizens, are among those particularly at risk from the health hazards posed by freezing temperatures.

Fresh snow and high winds hit Lowville, New York, on December 12, 2024, as parts of the U.S. Northeast were in the grip of strong winter weather. A polar vortex is forecast to bring freezing... Cara Anna/AP

What To Know

A polar vortex is a stream of cold air that normally spins around the poles high in the stratosphere. The phenomenon, which blasts Arctic air across part of North America, can disrupt weather patterns.

Forecast data mapped by Pivotal Weather indicates that several counties in the north of Georgia will experience below freezing temperatures on Saturday.

For example, in Union County it will reach lows of 27 degrees and in Fannin County it will be 28 degrees. Towns, Rabun and Lumpkin counties will experience lows of 29 degrees.

In Murray, Gilmer, White and Habersham counties it will drop to below 32 degrees.

AccuWeather said there was a high risk of subfreezing temperatures across the entire state next week. It also forecast that for the period of January 8-10, the "RealFeel" temperature in the state could be as cold as between 10-20 degrees. This equation takes into account different factors to determine how the temperature feels outside, such as sun position and wind strength.

The forecaster added that for the period of January 3-12, the Peach State could see temperatures fall 10-20 degrees below the historical average.

Meanwhile, data mapped by Pivotal Weather previously indicated that there was at least a 90 percent chance of below average temperatures for January in north and central Georgia.

It comes after snow coverage for the state was at or near 20-year lows around the holidays, even though many residents experienced snow around this time.

What People Are Saying

Meteorologist Ben Noll wrote on X on December 29: "A lobe of the polar vortex threatens to bring some seriously cold and possibly snowy weather to the United States during the week of January 6.

"Frigid air will overtake just about the entire country."

Dan DePodwin, senior director of forecasting operations at AccuWeather, previously told Newsweek: "The Southeast has experienced a run of Januarys with warmer than average or near historical average temperatures. January 2025 could end up being the coldest since January 2018 in this region (eastern U.S.).

"In an extreme scenario where the cold lingers past the middle of January, it could be the coldest January since 2014."

What Happens Next

Currently, forecast models expect cold air to be pushed throughout much of the U.S. from early to mid-January.