Frigid Georgia Temperatures Have an End in Sight

Georgia has been really cold lately. Sure, it's the wintertime, so one would expect it to get chilly. But, Georgia has been exceptionally cold as of late, due to an arctic blast that's come into the U.S. We're not alone, either, because this blast of arctic temperatures is hitting much of the country. It may seem like the area has been coming up against frigid temperatures forever, and while it's not been forever, it's been a long stretch. The good news is that it can't last forever, and weather experts are saying there's an end in sight for these unusually cold temperatures.

Let's get into the area's forecast. Looking at Augusta, Georgia, in particular, the weather experts at the Weather Channel predict that temperatures will rebound back into the 50s by Sunday, January 26. Also starting on Sunday, lows are expected to be in the 40s, so you can say farewell to those teens and 20s, at least for now. By next Wednesday, Augusta is even expected to get up to around 60, with rain. A similar weather pattern follows for Atlanta, so while it isn't going to be bikini weather, it should be nicer than what the state has been experiencing.

So, what's an arctic blast, like the one the U.S. has been experiencing? According to the experts at Scientific American, an arctic blast is when "cold air in the Arctic is trapped inside a high-altitude swirl of winds called the polar vortex, which is surrounded by a lower-altitude band called the polar jet stream."

"The Arctic polar vortex is a band of strong westerly winds that forms in the stratosphere between about 10 and 30 miles above the North Pole every winter," adds the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, stating that "the winds enclose a large pool of extremely cold air." The NOAA adds that, "the stronger the winds, the more the air inside is isolated from warmer latitudes, and the colder it gets."

If you're traveling during these very cold conditions, even if you aren't in a snowstorm, you should take precautions. FEMA says to keep an emergency supply kit in your vehicle. They add to include items such as jumper cables; flares or reflective triangles; an ice scraper; a snow shovel; a cellphone charger; blankets; a map; cat litter or sand (for better tire traction); a flashlight; and water. They also urge you to have your headlights on, even in the daytime, because snowy roads can lead to poor visibility, "and using your headlights to see and be seen by other drivers is critical.”