As Atlantans brace themselves for a variable week of weather, the National Weather Service offers a glimpse at what to expect in the days ahead with temperatures peaking today at a sunny 91 degrees and winds gusting up to 20 mph. But don't get too comfortable in the heat, the skies are expected to brew up some contrasting weather tonight. According to the extended NWS forecast, the city will see a 70 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms mainly before 2 a.m., parting clouds giving way to a lower around 69 – the winds persisting but with a softer touch ranging from 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday promises a return to clearer skies; the report suggests sunny weather with the mercury hitting a high near 84 degrees and the landscape will be brushed by west winds 10 to 15 mph, gusts potentially reaching 25 mph, as the day matures into a mostly clear night that tapers off at a refreshing 63 degrees. Similar conditions hold sway into Thursday, with sun dominating and the winds, though unwavering in their presence, are predicted to peak at blustery gusts of up to 30 mph, while a high of 83 degrees reminds us of the approaching summer, Thursday night's lows are a cooler affair dropping down to 57.
The pattern of pleasant temperatures and clear skies is set to continue as we head towards the weekend with Friday highs reaching 77 degrees, leading into another mostly clear night around 57, and the weekend teases with mostly sunny days, highs lingering near the 78-degree mark on Saturday followed by a partially clouded veil in the evening, hovering at 61 degrees. The NWS forecast indicates a shift again on Sunday with a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms amid mostly sunny conditions, highs resting near 82, while the evening carries the same chance of precipitations wrapped in a mostly cloudy shroud as lows settle around 65.
Memorial Day itself could present Atlantans with a bit more of an atmospheric toss-up; balmy highs are once more expected to reach 82 degrees, but this time with a 40 percent likelihood of showers and thunderstorms peeling through the partly sunny vista, a suggestion that outdoor remembrance activities might require a contingency for retreat, the warmth of the day might yet be splashed with the tears of an unsettled sky.
