First Alert Forecast: Cooler air offers brief break tonight before warm-up and late-week rain return

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Tonight, cooler and drier air continues to settle into the region behind yesterday’s cold front. High pressure pushing down from the northeast is driving a gusty easterly breeze, offering much-needed relief after a recent stretch of mid- to upper-90-degree heat.

Tuesday will remain mostly dry and pleasant as high pressure holds firm. Morning temperatures in the upper 60s will warm into the mid- to upper 80s by the afternoon, with a few spots touching 90 degrees. Rain chances remain very low throughout the day.

Midweek Warm-Up

The biggest weather story ahead is another warm-up heading into the middle and end of the week.

On Wednesday, high pressure keeping us dry will begin to slide offshore. Most of the area will enjoy another warm, mostly dry day, though isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms will be possible across southern portions of the region where tropical moisture lingers. Afternoon highs will warm back into the upper 80s and lower 90s.

Late-Week & Weekend Outlook

By Thursday, atmospheric high pressure breaks down further, allowing moisture and rain chances to return in earnest across the entire area.

A cold front arriving from the northwest on Friday will push south and stall out across the central part of the state through Sunday. This stalled boundary will serve as a track for repeated rounds of scattered to widespread showers and thunderstorms throughout the weekend.

While total rainfall amounts from Friday through Sunday are expected to average between 1 and 1.25 inches for most locations, localized flash flooding could become a concern in areas that experience multiple rounds of heavy rain.

Despite the weekend cold front and cloud cover, temperatures will stay quite warm. Highs will hover in the upper 80s to lower 90s each day through Sunday. Overnight lows will remain unusually warm in the upper 60s to lower 70s—roughly 6 to 12 degrees above average for early September.