WEDNESDAY’S WEATHER | Drastic drop in temps expected this evening

Metro Atlantans are waking up to another warm morning Wednesday, and we better enjoy it while it lasts because we’re in for a drastic drop in temperatures as storms roll in this evening.

After starting in the mid 60s this morning, most areas will see highs in the mid 70s by the afternoon. Some locations could even see temps near 80 degrees by 3 p.m., Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said. But by 5 p.m., those temperatures start to drop like a rock, as a cold front moves in. We’ll be in the low 50s then.

There’s also a chance of isolated strong to severe storms during the afternoon hours.

This colorful and hypnotic animation shows the progression of Wed's frontal passage from ~sunrise to sunset. It'll bring some showers and a change in temps. w/ cooler air replacing the seasonably warm temps. we've had the past few days. pic.twitter.com/A2LqFVpTER
— NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) February 28, 2024

It’ll be windy throughout the day, with gusts reaching up to 45 mph, Monahan said. That could bring down some limbs and small trees and displace outdoor objects. In fact, all of North Georgia is under a wind advisory until midnight Wednesday into Thursday.

⚠️ A Wind Advisory has been issued for much of north & central GA until midnight Wednesday night. Sustained winds 15-25 mph & gusts up to 45 mph are expected, so be sure to secure outdoor objects! A few power outages may occur. #gawx pic.twitter.com/t11qryIrz1
— NWS Atlanta (@NWSAtlanta) February 27, 2024

Rain will reach the metro area between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. ahead of the drop in temps and should move out by about 6 p.m. Another slight chance of rain is in store for Thursday, with more widespread rain expected Friday.

It’ll stay cold, too, at least through the weekend. We’ll see a bit of a warmup on Saturday, or at least a return to more seasonable temperatures in the low 60s. That’ll be the trend for the first half of next week as temps gradually increase to the upper 60s.