Atlanta’s pollen count early Thursday soared to a season-high 6,152, but relief is on the horizon in the form of widespread rain forecast for Friday.
Thursday's count, measured by Atlanta Allergy & Asthma, was nearly triple Wednesday's count of 2,256 particles of pollen per cubic meter of air. The previous high for the year was Saturday's count of 5,987.
Pine, oak, sweet gum, sycamore and mulberry trees were the main culprits contributing to Thursday’s high number. Last year’s count peaked at 5,231 on April 4.
Rain and thunderstorms forecast for Friday will wash some of that pollen out of the air, at least temporarily.
Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said there’s a 20 percent chance of rain and isolated thunderstorms late Thursday, increasing to 70 percent on Friday.
The National Weather Service warned that isolated strong to severe storms could develop across north and central Georgia Thursday afternoon, and again in northwest Georgia, mainly north of a line from Rome to Blue Ridge, during the early morning hours Friday.
Atlanta’s high Wednesday of 87 was a record for the date, and Minton is forecasting a high Thursday of 84, which is 2 degrees below the record for April 9 set in 2011.
Friday’s rain should end by the weekend, with partly cloudy skies and slightly cooler temperatures forecast for Saturday and Sunday.
Minton said weekend highs will be in the mid-70s, with lows in the mid-50s.
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