Advisories Issued as Winter Finally Makes an Appearance

Winter finally arrives to the local area Saturday with two extreme weather warnings issued by the National Weather Service – a wind advisory and warnings of a surge of Arctic air. These advisories are for all of north and central Georgia.

Forsyth County is under a wind advisory until 7 p.m. Saturday. According to the National Weather Service, 20 to 25 mph northwest winds - with gusts of up to 40 mph. These could bring down weak trees and limbs causing isolated power outages. Motorists are advised to use extra caution, especially those in high profile vehicles, as these strong winds could make driving difficult.

The second advisory warns of an Arctic cold front sweeping through the state today causing temperatures in local areas to fall sharply. Wind chill factors are expected to remain in the 20s during the day, dropping to the teens and single digits overnight. Cumming is not expected to reach above 38 degrees for a daytime high and will drop to about 19 degrees overnight. Little or no snow accumulation expected. The wind chill is expected to be about 9 degrees.

Weather experts are warning that steps need to be taken to protect outdoor pets, water faucets and plants and trees. Outdoor plants might have already experienced premature budding due to the warmer than normal temperatures experienced so far this season.

Cold temperatures are expected again on Sunday night.