SATURDAY’S WEATHER: Slight break from heat wave as dry air moves in

Juneteenth weekend will begin with a slight reprieve from the simmering heat that has blistered metro Atlanta over the past week.

Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brad Nitz credits it to a “cold front” that swept through the area overnight.

“It’s not going to be cold — in fact, it’s going to stay hot — but it will bring some significantly drier air,” Nitz said. “Much lower humidity; we’re not going to be dealing with the mugginess as we head through the weekend.”

North Georgia is coming off a week that saw weather advisories and heat index values that made it feel as hot as 110 degrees in some areas. Temperatures in Atlanta reached 99 on Wednesday, shattering a 60-year record-high for that date.

Nitz said Saturday’s front will bring in dry air that produces wind gusts throughout the day. The humid, tropical conditions should push to the south as the dry air moves in.

Expect tons of sunshine, not only on Saturday but over the next several days. Nitz said there’s zero chance of rain through Wednesday, when temperatures are expected to rise to 101 degrees. That could be the first time Atlanta hits triple digits since August 2019, according to Nitz.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Saturday’s morning low is 76, leading into an afternoon high of 93 degrees across most of metro Atlanta. Those highs could fluctuate between 97 on the Southside to 84 in the North Georgia mountains.

“But it’s going to be much less humid, more comfortable. Not the dangerous heat that we’ve been dealing with through the work week,” Nitz said.