Temperatures plunge to 10 in some metro towns, 0 at Brasstown Bald

ATLANTA (AP) Temperatures fell to 10 degrees before dawn in Marietta, Cartersville and Rome and 12 in Atlanta as an arctic blast of frigid weather brought the coldest temperatures in a year to Georgia. Among other cities and towns in north Georgia, a low of 10 was also recorded in Gainesville, Buford, and Jefferson.<br /> <br /> It was even colder in the north Georgia mountains. A U.S. Forest Service weather station recorded an air temperature of 0 degrees shortly after 5 a.m. Thursday at Brasstown Bald, Georgia's highest peak. A check of various cities in the north Georgia region found temperatures of 3 degrees in Blue Ridge, 4 in Blairsville, 5 in Clayton and 6 in Cleveland.<br /> <br /> School districts were delaying start times and warming shelters were open across the state. <br /> <br /> A wind-chill advisory Thursday morning included all of northern and central Georgia and parts of south Georgia, including Vidalia, Americus and Statesboro. <br /> <br /> The wind chill the combination of air temperature and wind was 4 degrees below zero before dawn Thursday in the northwest Georgia town of Calhoun. <br /> <br /> <i>WDUN staff contributed to this report.</i>