ATLANTA (AP) — Temperatures dropped to 7 degrees in the north Georgia mountains and 17 degrees in Atlanta as arctic air settled over Georgia.

National Weather Service observations showed that even St. Simons Island off Georgia's coast was below freezing early Wednesday, with a temperature of 30 degrees.

High winds made it feel much colder, with wind chills as low as zero degrees in the northwest Georgia town of Calhoun before dawn Wednesday.

A U.S. Forest Service weather station on Brasstown Bald, Georgia's highest peak, recorded one of the state's coldest temperatures -- 7 degrees -- around 6 a.m.

The weather service was forecasting what could be the coldest temperatures of the week early Friday morning. Lows then are expected to be 15 in Atlanta; 13 in Rome; and 9 in Blairsville.