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Friday morning weather forecast
Wetter and cooler end to the week. Hotter and drier next week.
ATLANTA - A stubborn frontal boundary combined with a wave of tropical humidity is making for a wet and muggy start to Friday across metro Atlanta and North Georgia. While heavy downpours will remain widespread through Friday afternoon, drier and hotter weather is on the horizon for the rest of the weekend.
Tropical humidity sparks heavy Friday downpours
Muggy start and rainmaker potential
Timeline:
Friday morning began with cloudy skies over Atlanta and temperatures near 78°F. However, the key meteorological factor is the surge in humidity, with dew points pushing into the mid-70s.
This tropical air mass loads the atmosphere with deep moisture. As a result, any showers and thunderstorms that develop throughout the day have the potential to become heavy rainmakers, producing high rainfall totals over short periods.
Where Rain Is Concentrated Today
A stalled frontal feature sitting over North Georgia and metro Atlanta is acting as the primary focal point for Friday's weather.
- North of I-20 & metro area: Rain will remain more widespread throughout the day, with heavy downpours tracking along Interstate 85 through DeKalb and Gwinnett counties, as well as into the North Georgia mountains.
- South of metro Atlanta: Areas farther south will see fewer showers and more breaks in cloud cover.
- Afternoon timeline: Rain chances remain isolated through the early morning before climbing to 60% during the afternoon hours. Showers will taper off significantly overnight.
Cloud cover and rain will keep afternoon high temperatures cooler in the mountain areas—holding in the upper 70s to low 80s—while locations south of the front with more sunshine could still approach 90°F.
Weekend Outlook: Drying Out and Heating Up
Saturday rain shift
Timeline:
The location of the stalled front will continue to govern weather patterns into the start of the weekend. On Saturday, the primary focus for downpours will shift mostly west of Interstate 75.
Communities located to the north and east of I-75 are expected to see significantly less rain activity. Forecasters emphasize that Saturday will not be an all-day washout.
Sunday heat return
Timeline:
By Sunday, the overall chance of rain drops to just 20% area-wide. However, as cloud cover clears and drier conditions take over, metro Atlanta will see a quick return to typical, hot summer temperatures.
The Source: This story is based on a forecast by FOX 5 Chief Meteorologist Joanne Feldman.