Winter storm watch upgraded to warning, advisory ahead of Tuesday's snow

ATLANTA — Temperatures were mild Monday but a big plunge in temperatures with possible snow is coming beginning Tuesday.

Our Severe Weather Team 2 meteorologists have been tracking the arctic front as it makes its way across the country toward Georgia.

A winter storm watch that was issued has been upgraded to a winter storm warning or winter storm advisory for several areas. They will go into effect at 3 a.m. Tuesday.

[Q&A: Chief Meteorologist Glenn Burns and Meteorologist Brad Nitz answer your questions about winter weather]

A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray, Fannin, Gilmer, Union, Towns, Chattooga, Gordon, Pickens, Dawson, Lumpkin, White and Floyd counties.

A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for Bartow, Cherokee, Forsyth, Hall, Polk, Paulding, Cobb, North Fulton, Gwinnett, Haralson, Carroll, Douglas, South Fulton, DeKalb, Heard, Coweta, Fayette and Clayton counties.

Brine trucks are hitting the roads in several local counties. Crews in Cobb and Cherokee counties are treating major streets and overpasses.

We're using the most advanced weather technology to continuously update the timing and amount of the winter weather, on Channel 2 Action News This Morning, starting at 4 a.m.

[MINUTE-BY-MINUTE: Schools, businesses closed Tuesday ahead of snow mix]

TIMELINE AND IMPACTS:

TUESDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON

Channel 2 Action News This Morning will begin LIVE Severe Weather Team 2 coverage 30 minutes early starting at 4 a.m.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Severe Weather Team 2 App]

Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Karen Minton has been tracking winter weather in metro Atlanta for more than 30 years. She said the band of rain and snow mix will begin entering the north Georgia mountains early Tuesday morning and then move into metro Atlanta in the afternoon.

This will continue to shift southeast over north Georgia through the morning hours.

The system will be drying up as it moves south, but there is still the threat for some accumulating snow north of I-20.

By the afternoon commute, the snow and rain mix will move out of Georgia, but the cold will stick around.

TUESDAY NIGHT

Behind the snow mix will come a dramatic drop in temperatures.

Winds will rapidly increase behind the cold front and will persist into Tuesday night. Wet and slushy spots will freeze Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.

[WATCH: How to drive if you hit black ice]

WEDNESDAY MORNING

Wind chills will drop into the low to midteens across much of the area, with single digits expected in the North Georgia mountains late Tuesday into Wednesday morning.

Expect northwest winds around 15-20 mph with gusts up to 25-30 mph.

[WATCH: How to drive if you hit black ice]

Looking ahead to Super Bowl weekend, the temperatures will go back up with highs in the mid-50s for Saturday and Sunday. There is a slight chance of rain showers for Super Bowl Sunday.

Cox Media Group