MONDAY’S WEATHER: Feels like spring, but don’t forget it’s still winter

It’s another warm start to the week for metro Atlanta with no rain in sight Monday morning, but pack some rain gear for later in the day and keep it on hand for later in the week.

Temperatures are in the 60s ahead of daybreak for much of the area, and they’re expected to climb into the mid-70s. The springlike temperatures will stick around for much of the week, according to the forecast, but it’s still technically winter.

“Three weeks exactly from today spring starts, but really we’ve been in spring weather most of the month of February,” Channel 2 Action News chief meteorologist Brian Monahan said.

In fact, it has been the second-hottest February on record, Monahan said. The three warmest have come in the last six years, with 2018 being the hottest and 2017 being the third warmest.

Rain will pop into the forecast for parts of the metro area later Monday as a weather system comes in from the west bringing gusty winds that could reach up to 40 mph.

Tuesday will see more sunshine with no rain in sight, but more storms, including a chance of strong-to-severe weather, will creep into the area later in the week.