Metro Atlanta weather: Breezy but warm weekend ahead

Saturday Morning Weather Forecast

Temperatures will be trending warmer in to the first full week of October, FOX 5 Storm Team meteorologist Alex Forbes says.

The FOX 5 Storm Team says metro Atlanta has a fall-like weekend ahead. 

North Georgia weekend forecast

What we know:

Forbes said the metro area will warm nicely through the day, with Atlanta expected to reach 79 degrees this afternoon. Sunday’s high will be about 78 degrees, followed by a warmer stretch early next week.

"We’re trending above average Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday — a little warmer than it should be for the first full week of October," Forbes explained. "Then we’ll be below average for Thursday and Friday, with highs in the mid-70s."

Fans headed to college football games can expect comfortable conditions. In Athens, early tailgaters will see temperatures in the mid-60s by midmorning, climbing to around 80 degrees by the end of the game. For the Georgia State–James Madison kickoff at 3:30 p.m. in Atlanta, temperatures will hover near 80 degrees and gradually fall through the 70s.

Georgia drought concerns

What we know:

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor, updated Thursday, shows moderate drought conditions expanding across parts of north and central Georgia — including Gwinnett, Forsyth, Cherokee, Bartow, and Polk counties.

"We really need the rainfall here in north and central Georgia," Forbes said. "It’s been since August 20th since we’ve seen more than a half-inch of rain officially at Hartsfield-Jackson."

He noted that some locations have picked up isolated showers in recent weeks, but most of the region remains drier than normal. Updated drought data is expected Thursday after new samples are collected Tuesday.

Georgia forecast

What's next:

The weekend will stay breezy, with gusts up to 20 miles per hour possible through Monday. Temperatures will stay in the low 80s early in the week before cooling into the mid-70s by Friday.

Morning lows will remain in the upper 50s to low 60s through midweek, then dip into the 50s again by the end of the week.

"Once we get to Friday, we’ll be on the cooler side again," Forbes said. "It’ll feel more like fall."