Atlanta is waking up to clear skies and temperatures around 72 degrees Thursday morning, but the easy start will not last. Sunshine will push the city toward a high near 92, while a Code Orange air-quality alert remains in effect through 6 p.m. for Thursday, September 17.
Clear Thursday Turns Hotter Friday
Thursday will stay sunny with light northeast winds, followed by a mostly clear night and a low near 72. According to the National Weather Service, Friday, September 18, will be even hotter, with a high near 96 and heat-index values reaching about 99.
Friday afternoon may bring the first showers and scattered thunderstorms. The rain chance rises to 40% Saturday afternoon and evening, when Atlanta could see scattered showers and storms after a mostly sunny start.
Weekend Storm Chances Build
Saturday’s high should remain in the 90s, with weekend storm chances continuing. Scattered showers and storms are possible Sunday, Monday and early next week.
Rain chances increase further Tuesday, September 22, when the forecast calls for a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms and a high near 87. That is a more unsettled turn than Hoodline’s earlier outlook, which had kept Atlanta mostly dry through the weekend.
Code Orange Alert Means Afternoon Caution
The air-quality alert means ozone levels may be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, people with heart or lung disease and those who are unusually sensitive to ozone. Those residents should limit prolonged outdoor exertion during the late afternoon and early evening, when ozone concentrations are expected to peak.
For everyone else, the practical playbook is simple: move strenuous outdoor activities to the morning, take breaks in the shade or air conditioning, and keep an eye on the sky once weekend storm chances begin to rise.
