Atlanta residents can expect a brief respite from the winter chill as the sun dominates today's skies, bringing the thermometer up to a comfortable 58 degrees. But while the gentle eastern breezes of 5 to 10 mph may have some hanging up their heavy coats for the day, evening temperatures are predicted to dip to around 40 degrees under partly cloudy skies, so don't pack away that winter gear just yet, according to the National Weather Service.
Going into the weekend, Atlantans are looking down the barrel of a dreary forecast. Tomorrow, a milder high of 54 degrees will be overshadowed by a 30 percent chance of showers in the late afternoon, and those rain chances skyrocket to 80 percent by nightfall, when temperatures will hover around 47 degrees. The wind's persistence throughout the day, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph, should keep umbrellas tightly in hand.
The National Weather Service also indicates that December 17 will be no stranger to showers, especially before the afternoon, where the likelihood sits at 60 percent and though the highs might poke up to 56 degrees, the gusts could whip up to 25 mph as the wind swings north, compounding the already overcast and wet conditions, which may make any outdoor plans a gamble.
It's not all gloomy skies ahead; however, by December 17 night, the rain chances diminish to a scant 20 percent before completely vacating by early December 18 morning, paving the way for a mostly sunny start to the week with daytime highs around 52 degrees that'll feel downright balmy compared to December 19 and December 20's more modest predictions tucked in the mid-to-higher 40s and low 50s, respectively, culminating in a near military parade of sunny to mostly clear days until Thursday's high once again reaches 57.
