Honestly, if you've lived in Atlanta for more than five minutes, you know the drill. Someone mentions the "S-word" and suddenly the Kroger milk aisle looks like a scene from an apocalypse movie. This weekend, January 17-18, 2026, is giving us one of those classic "maybe-sorta-probably-not" weather setups that keeps every meteorologist in the city glued to their radar.
Basically, we're looking at a tale of two very different days.
Saturday is starting out kind of messy. It's that typical Southern winter gloom—gray skies, some light rain, and a high that’ll struggle to reach 53°F. It’s not freezing, but it's that damp cold that gets into your bones. The wind is coming out of the west at a lazy 7 mph, so it’s not exactly a gale, but you'll definitely want the heavy coat if you're heading out to the BeltLine.
The Saturday Night Switch
Here is where things get interesting. As we crawl into Saturday night, the temperature is going to dive. We are looking at a low of 33°F. That is the magic number. The air is going to be cloudy, and there is a 35% chance that the rain we saw earlier could actually turn into snow.
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Don't go buying a sled just yet.
The moisture is thinning out right as the cold air arrives. It's a classic Atlanta heartbreak. Most of the real action is actually projected to stay south and east of the city. If you’re down in Henry or Spalding counties, you might see a dusting. But for the city proper? It’s looking more like a "blink and you'll miss it" kind of event.
Why Sunday is the Real Story
Forget the snow for a second. Sunday, January 18, is going to be the day that actually hits you in the face.
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We are talking about a high of only 39°F. That is a massive drop from Saturday. And because the universe has a sense of humor, the wind is going to kick up to 13 mph from the northwest. It’s going to feel way colder than the thermometer says.
- Sky: Sunny (finally!)
- High: 39°F
- Low: 29°F
- Snow Chance: 20% in the morning, then clearing out.
The city isn't taking any chances, though. They're opening warming centers starting Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. at places like the Central Park Recreation Center. When the city opens the Old Adamsville center for overflow, you know they aren't playing around with these temperatures.
What You Actually Need to Do
If you have plans this weekend, Saturday afternoon is your best window for errands. By Sunday morning, even if there isn't a foot of snow, the wind chill is going to be brutal.
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Check your outdoor pipes. Seriously. We’re hitting 29°F on Sunday night, and that’s enough to cause headaches if you’ve got exposed plumbing. Also, keep an eye on the I-85 corridor. The "sharp cutoff" for snow is real—you could be looking at dry pavement in Buckhead while someone in McDonough is scraping an inch of slush off their windshield.
Stay warm, keep the layers handy, and maybe just stay on the couch Sunday morning. It’s going to be a cold one.