CORNELIA, Ga. — A warming center will open in Cornelia Sunday and Monday nights as North Georgia braces for a sharp return to winter and a nearly 40-degree temperature drop.
The shelter will operate Feb. 22 and 23 from 6 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. in the gym at First Baptist Church in Cornelia. Capacity is limited to 10 people. Anyone needing a warm place to stay should call 678-548-7853 in advance.
“It’s important for people to know that they can’t just show up; they have to call to make a reservation,” Cornelia Police Chief Jonathan Roberts told Now Georgia. “We encourage people to do this quickly, as spots are first-come, first-serve.”
Many recall that First Baptist served as a shelter during severe weather events years ago. Chief Roberts said the church has worked with Ninth District Opportunity for several months to bring the shelter back to the city.
“All paperwork and such was finally approved, and now we have a partnership back in Cornelia,” he said. “We hope everything goes well and we can make this something that can be available in our area in the future. We see a lot of people say we need this, but don’t understand what it actually takes to pull it off. We are very thankful for First Baptist stepping up to bring this to Cornelia.”
High winds, isolated power outages expected
The warming center opens as a strong cold front sweeps through the region, replacing recent record warmth with gusty winds and bitter wind chills.
Forecasters say northwest winds will increase quickly Sunday, with widespread gusts of 30 to 35 mph by afternoon. Gusts over 40 mph are possible in the mountains. Along the eastern shores of Lake Lanier and Lake Hartwell, lake-enhanced winds could also approach or exceed 40 mph. Isolated power outages are possible.
Plunging temperatures
Temperatures will tumble through Sunday. Highs will only reach the mid- to upper 30s in the mountains and low 40s elsewhere. Wind chills will hover around or below freezing most of the day.
The coldest air arrives early Monday. Wind chills at sunrise are expected to drop into the low to mid-teens, with single digits possible in higher elevations — a dramatic 40-degree swing from Friday’s warmth to Monday’s chill.
A few mountain flurries are possible Sunday night into early Monday, though no accumulation is expected. Highs Monday will stay below freezing in the mountains and in the mid- to upper 30s elsewhere, with gusty winds keeping it feeling colder.
Short-lived winter blast
The bitter blast will be short-lived. Temperatures are expected to rebound into the 50s by Tuesday and climb back near 60 degrees ahead of the next weather system arriving Thursday.
In the meantime, residents are urged to secure loose outdoor items, prepare for the possibility of brief power outages, and check on elderly neighbors and pets as winter makes a quick but sharp return.
