Soggy weather patterns continue across metro Atlanta and North Georgia as another wave of atmospheric moisture moves into the region to close out the workweek.
Storms return Friday
A moist weather pattern will keep rain and storms in the forecast through the weekend, with the highest threat for widespread heavy downpours arriving Friday afternoon and evening. The FOX 5 Storm Team notes that while widespread severe weather is not anticipated, localized flash flooding could become a problem because the ground is already highly saturated from recent rainfall.
There are currently no active watches, warnings, or advisories for the FOX 5 viewing area. However, localized runoff could quickly cause issues in low-lying or poorly drained locations if multiple storms cross over the same communities.
Tracking the weekend
“Rain chances are going to come back, and they’re going to come back with a vengeance,” says FOX 5 Storm Team meteorologist Jonathan Stacey. While Thursday night remains relatively quiet and calm across metro Atlanta, a major swath of moisture over the Great Plains will slide into the Deep South by Friday morning.
Stacey is tracking a solid chance of rain for both Friday and Saturday, though current modeling shows a favorable trend toward lower storm chances by the second half of the weekend.
Timing the downpours
The timing of the incoming weather system will impact both the Friday evening commute and weekend outdoor plans:
- Friday Morning: Mostly cloudy and generally dry for the kids’ last day of school, though a few passing showers are possible in West Georgia.
- Friday Afternoon (Noon – 4 p.m.): Scattered showers begin bubbling up across the area as temperatures struggle to cross the 80-degree threshold under thick cloud cover.
- Friday Evening (6 p.m. – Midnight): Widespread, heavy downpours and rumbles of thunder move in from the south side, engulfing the I-20 corridor and impacting the evening commute.
- Saturday: Morning showers out east give way to brief midday sunshine, which will flare up the atmosphere and trigger scattered afternoon thundershowers.
Atmospheric setups explained
A persistent northeasterly wind flow is keeping temperatures lower than earlier in the week while drawing thick moisture into the state. This continuous flow of moisture from the Gulf and the plains is interacting with daytime heating to repeatedly ignite showers and storms across the Deep South.
Gauging the rainfall
Showers continue to fall across South Georgia while North Georgia remains briefly dry ahead of the main system. Splotches of heavy downpours will affect Cherokee, Bartow, Cobb, Fulton, Rockdale, Newton, and DeKalb counties as the rain stacks up on Friday night. Saturated areas could see ponding on roads where 4 to 5 hours of continuous rainfall occurs.
Real-world impacts
Heavy rain hitting right at the heart of the Friday evening commute means ponding on major interstates like I-75, I-575, and I-20. Commuters should prepare for slower travel times and reduced visibility. Outdoor weekend activities on Saturday afternoon will likely face interruptions from lightning and sudden tropical-like downpours.
Seven-day outlook
Expect slightly cooler temperatures through the weekend before a refreshing, dry trend arrives for June:
- Friday: High 80, Low 64 / Showers and thunderstorms likely afternoon and night.
- Saturday: High 81, Low 64 / Showers likely, afternoon thundershowers.
- Sunday: High 80, Low 63 / 30% chance of showers and isolated storms.
- Monday: High 81, Low 61 / 30% chance of rain, remaining unsettled.
- Tuesday: High 81, Low 59 / Mostly sunny and beautifully dry.
- Wednesday: High 80, Low 64 / Mostly sunny, unseasonably cool.
- Thursday: High 82, Low 65 / Sunny and pleasant weather continues.
Turning the corner
By Sunday, storm chances drop down dramatically to 30% as the main pocket of moisture pulls away. As we say hello to the month of June, a cooler and drier air mass will build into the region. Temperatures will drop to about 5 to 10 degrees unseasonably cool for the start of the month, allowing North Georgia to string together a couple of beautiful, dry days.
