Atlanta Prepares for Warm Weekend After Record Heat

ATLANTA – Atlanta is moving into a milder final weekend of September after record-tying heat earlier this week. High temperatures are expected to be in the mid-80s on both Saturday and Sunday, which is typical for this time of year.

While rain chances will be lower compared to Friday, isolated showers or thunderstorms could occur on Saturday afternoon. By Sunday, expect mostly sunny skies with little to no rain anticipated.

Meteorologists are keeping an eye on the tropics, predicting that next week Georgia may experience only breezy conditions accompanied by light rain, while heavier rain is expected in the Carolinas.

Recent showers have brought some relief to dry areas, but drought conditions continue to expand across parts of the state. Rainfall has been inconsistent, with some regions receiving over an inch while others see no precipitation.

This weekend’s forecast includes:

Friday: Highs in the upper 70s to low 80s with scattered afternoon rain; Saturday: Mid-80s with warm, isolated showers or thundershowers; Sunday: Mid-80s, mostly sunny, dry, and pleasant.

As fall officially begins on Monday afternoon, metro Atlanta will feel more like summer, with temperatures soaring into the upper 80s, possibly reaching 90 degrees by Tuesday.

The average high for late September has dropped to 82 degrees, and temperatures are expected to trend closer to this average by the second half of the week. A stronger cold front is forecasted for Thursday, bringing a higher chance of widespread rain that could benefit drought-affected areas.

Computer models indicate that parts of northwest Georgia may receive 1 to 2 inches of rain in the coming days, which would be helpful for areas suffering from drought.

Looking ahead: Monday will be mostly sunny with a high of 88 degrees; Tuesday will be hot and sunny, reaching 90 degrees; Wednesday will be partly cloudy with a slight chance of rain and a high of 87 degrees; Thursday will have the best chance of rain at 60% with a cold front, with highs dropping to 82 degrees; Friday will be partly sunny with a 30% chance of showers and highs around 80 degrees; and Saturday will be pleasant with a small 20% chance of rain, high of 79 degrees.

Sunday will also see partly sunny skies with a 20% chance of isolated showers, and a high of 78 degrees.