Warm weather to return Wednesday, rain chances slim

Tomorrow: More clouds. High: 79

» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.

Warm weather is here to stay, but expect a small chance of rain this week.

Temperatures are expected to remain in the 70s through 9 p.m. Tuesday, but expect a 20 percent chance of rain Wednesday, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brad Nitz said.

Showers should be isolated and, with cloud coverage, will lower temperatures by only one or two degrees, he said.

Rain should hit northwest Georgia by midnight and metro Atlanta by the afternoon, but the rest of the week is expected to be dry, with highs nearing the 80s.

Tuesday’s temperatures reached the 80s. After earlier forecasts indicated Atlanta wouldn’t see that kind of warmth until Thursday, Channel 2 meteorologists said Atlanta topped that mark in the afternoon.

Temps hit the 80s in other parts of the state as well.

Currently, the temperature is 79 degrees in Atlanta, 80 in Rome and 79 in LaGrange.

And with the warm weather, pollen levels are in the high range again. The count jumped from 830 Monday to 1,028 Tuesday, according to Atlanta Allergy and Asthma.

If it’s any consolation for allergy sufferers, that is still shy of last year’s season high of 4,107 particles per cubic meter of air.

Temps are expected to dip into the high 70s Wednesday, increase to the 80s Thursday and stay there through Easter Sunday.

“Overall, it’s going to stay very warm even though we have a little dip in the temperature coming (Wednesday),” Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said.