Coldest temps in 6 years on the way (based on Hartsfield only) get ready now, winterize car: battery-anti-freeze-windshield fluid not just water, ready furnace, turn-off water to the outside, wrap exposed pipes, shut-down sprinkler systems, check well-water systems and emergency generators, let faucets drip in sinks with outside wall exposure, find the winter coat and dress in layers, extra socks, shirts, hat and gloves, scarves. Your fingers, toes, ears and nose are most susceptible to frostbite so cover them. Coaches and athletic directors should give 10 minute indoor warming periods every 30 minutes for athletes training or practicing outside if not canceling outdoor activities. Make sure space-heaters are working properly and beware the danger of deadly fire and deadly fumes from some of these. Check on the wellness of the elderly and infirm. Shelters should be available for the homeless, gas and electric shut-offs should be suspended. Extra buses and trains should run to reduce exposure wait times. Any outside water smaller than a lake will freeze, fish ponds-waterfalls-birdbaths. Let your pets stay inside. Put out food and water for birds and other wildlife, redo water when it freezes. From late Thursday to late Saturday on the order of 60 hours below freezing that's a pipe-bursting cold spell which will include single digits in the Mountains and maybe some Atlanta suburbs with teens common elsewhere, wind chill factors around zero before the cold wave eases. The modern era record low in Atlanta is 8 below zero, minus 8 in January 1985. As for snow or ice nothing substantial in the offing any time soon. There have been hints from some of the numerical algorithms of something Sunday/Monday and again late this month but too inconsistent to get excited about for now. The next 5 days looks like the troff axis is too far East so I'll keep it out of my forecast. I'll keep an eye on it for any surprises.