A hot, mostly dry weekend is ahead for most of Georgia, but a round of storms is expected to move through Sunday and linger into next week.
Today (Friday): Georgia is baking under mostly sunny skies Friday, with highs ranging from the low 90s in the mountains to the mid-90s across south Georgia and the coast. Heat index values — what the air actually feels like when you factor in humidity — will reach as high as 107 degrees near the South Carolina coast and 104 in the Tallahassee, Florida area, which covers Georgia’s southernmost counties. Metro Atlanta will feel as hot as 101. Drink water, limit time outside during peak afternoon hours, and check on elderly neighbors and children.
What is the Heat Index?: The heat index refers to what the temperature feels like when the air temperature is combined with relative humidity. The thermometer in your car may report 90 degree temperatures, but the humidity means that to your body, it will feel like it is over 100 degrees. The heat index is sometimes called the “apparent temperature.”
Saturday: More of the same. Highs stay in the low-to-mid 90s statewide. A few afternoon and evening storms are possible, mainly in west Georgia and south Georgia, but most areas stay dry. The coast near Savannah and the Georgia-South Carolina border faces the most uncomfortable conditions Saturday, with heat index values potentially reaching 111 degrees and a 40% chance of afternoon storms.
Sunday: This is when the pattern changes. A line of showers and thunderstorms is likely to push through much of the state Sunday, particularly from midday onward. Metro Atlanta has a 70% chance of storms. South Georgia and the coast see a 50% chance. North Georgia near the South Carolina line stays drier, with only a 20% storm chance. Highs drop slightly, into the upper 80s to low 90s.
Next week: Rain chances stay elevated Monday through at least Wednesday across most of Georgia. Metro Atlanta, west Georgia, and south Georgia all face 70-80% storm chances Monday and Tuesday. Highs cool into the low-to-mid 80s for inland areas before gradually climbing back toward the upper 80s by midweek.
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.
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
