Widespread weekend rain set to hit metro Atlanta overnight

ATLANTA - Scattered afternoon showers and thick cloud cover across metro Atlanta will transition into a widespread rainstorm overnight into Sunday. 

Warm, cloudy, scattered showers possible

What we know:

Heavy clouds will linger over metro Atlanta through Saturday afternoon, keeping high temperatures around 82 to 83 degrees. While daytime hours remain relatively dry, scattered showers remain possible before steady rain arrives overnight and continues through Sunday evening.

Pockets of heavy downpours and scattered thunderstorms are expected as the system tracks across North Georgia. Rainfall totals will vary across the region, with most areas seeing anywhere from a third of an inch to over an inch of rain, and isolated spots topping two inches.

The Weather Prediction Center shifted its Level 2 Excessive Rainfall Outlook slightly further south while slightly trimming expected overall totals.

Braves fans heading to The Battery for weekend activities Saturday afternoon should prepare for overcast skies and damp conditions. Meanwhile, Game 1 of the Wild Card series in Los Angeles will face hot conditions, with first-pitch temperatures climbing into the mid-90s.

What we don't know:

Computer forecast models have shown high variability over recent days, meaning exact neighborhood rainfall totals could fluctuate.

Sunday washout forecast

What's next:

Widespread rain will overtake the region overnight, creating washout conditions for most of Sunday with only an hour or two of breaks expected. Afternoon highs on Sunday will drop to around 74 degrees under heavy rainfall.

Behind the storm system, a traditional fall weather pattern will move into North Georgia next week. Afternoon highs will stay in the mid-to-upper 70s, while morning low temperatures drop into the mid-50s. Mountain communities could see morning temperatures dip into the low 40s by Wednesday and Thursday.