FRIDAY’S WEATHER: Highs in the 70s for the first full day of fall in Atlanta

Most of North Georgia is starting Friday in the 50s for the first full day of fall, and some pretty nice conditions are on the way for the afternoon.

After a cold front moved through overnight, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said most areas will finish the day in the upper 70s, including metro Atlanta. It’s a marked change from the past few days in the mid-90s, which is more like midsummer weather than early fall.

Feeling so good out there this morning on the first morning of fall!

Temperatures are running about 10 degrees cooler than this time yesterday. @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/LObwsUIXTN
— Brian Monahan, WSB (@BMonahanWSB) September 23, 2022

Atlanta’s projected high Friday is just 78 degrees. That would be 16 degrees below Thursday’s high of 94, which fell just shy of a heat record.

The change in weather is accompanied by a change in seasons, heralded by the fall equinox at 9:03 p.m. Thursday. Monahan said cooler, dry conditions will stick around for the start of the weekend, but the region is due for a slight bump in humidity — and rain chances — on Sunday.

“This weekend is a mainly dry one except for Sunday,” he said. “A slight chance of a shower, maybe a rumble of thunder, Sunday afternoon as a cold front moves on by. It will be warm Sunday, and then cooler Monday and Tuesday.”

Monahan is calling for a high of 82 on Saturday followed by 87 on Sunday, and low 80s return next week, according to the latest forecast. It should stay mostly dry, but a tropical depression developing in the western Caribbean has the potential to bring tropical moisture and rain to Georgia by late next week, he said.

Tropical Depression 9 has formed in the central Caribbean and will likely pose a significant threat to the Gulf of Mexico 5-7 days from now.

I'm tracking it closely on Channel 2 all morning long! @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/CiulWC7mU3
— Brian Monahan, WSB (@BMonahanWSB) September 23, 2022

“I expect this system to quickly strengthen into a hurricane,” Monahan said. “Potential impacts in the central and eastern Gulf, basically anywhere from Florida to back as far west as Mississippi and Alabama. This will be mid- to late week, and on this track something we will have to watch closely.”