Metro Atlanta set a weather record Thursday -- with a high of 82 degrees -- that inched out the previous March 15 record of 81, set in 1973.
Expect more of the same 80-degree temps through the weekend, but keep your umbrellas nearby, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Glenn Burns said.
"With deep tropical moisture over us and a pocket of cold air at 10,000 feet, we have a very favorable environment for afternoon thunderstorms for tonight, tomorrow and Saturday," Burns said. He said the main threat will be "small hail from the cold air aloft."
Friday will be partly cloudy with a high of 81 and isolated thunderstorms possible. The low will still be a warm 62 degrees, Burns said.
Saturday will be mostly sunny with a high of 81 degrees and a pleasant low of 60 for St. Patrick's Day revelry, Burns noted.
In case you were wondering, federal weather forecasters say for the first time in four years they're not worried about major spring flooding.
But don't expect much of a break from the unseasonal warmth.
The National Weather Service's outlook for spring, which arrived early with 577 warm temperature records broken on Wednesday, predicts mostly warmer and drier than normal weather, except in the northwest.
Weather Service meteorologists say the drought should continue in the west and south, but shouldn't be as extreme as last fall. The southeast should brace for some restriction on water use.
-- AJC staff writer Mike Morris and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
About the Author
