Georgia is heading into an extended stretch of well-above-normal heat this weekend and into next week. Some daily temperature records are at risk, and an ongoing drought is expected to get worse.
What’s happening: A high pressure system sitting over the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic is pushing warm, dry air across the region. The National Weather Service is forecasting mostly sunny skies and very little chance of rain through at least April 15.
By the numbers: Atlanta’s typical high temperature for this time of year is 73 to 74 degrees. Forecast highs this weekend and next week run well above that:
- Saturday: 85°F
- Sunday: 85°F
- Monday: 83°F
- Tuesday: 87°F
- Wednesday: 88°F
Record heat: Existing records for the days ahead range from 86 to 88 degrees. Wednesday’s forecast high of 88 degrees would top the current record of 87 degrees for that date, according to National Weather Service data.
Overnight lows will stay unusually warm, dropping only to the upper 50s to low 60s — above normal for mid-April.
Drought impact: The National Weather Service says the extended dry stretch will make an already ongoing drought in north and central Georgia worse. No meaningful rain is in the forecast through at least April 15.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
