Sunny, warm temperatures forecast for Friday

Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brad Nitz has your Thursday night forecast.

ATLANTA FORECAST

Today: Breezy and sunny. High: 67

Tonight: Mostly clear. Low: 54

Tomorrow: Sunny. High: 69

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

The sunshine likely fooled a few, but Atlanta’s weather stayed breezy with temperatures reaching the 60s.

The city was roughly 15 to 20 degrees cooler than Wednesday’s high of 83, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brad Nitz said.

Thursday’s high was 66 degrees, which is just below the forecast high of 67 for Atlanta. That’s 6 degrees lower than the average high for this time of year.

Currently, it’s 54 degrees in Atlanta.

Pollen levels were in the “extremely high” range. The count increased from 1,648 particles per cubic meter of air Wednesday to 3,343 Thursday, according to Atlanta Allergy and Asthma.

For perspective, the current season high is 5,354, last year’s season high was 3,559 and the 2016 season high was 4,106.

The drop in temps should help reduce pollen.

“The cold air is returning tonight,” Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said.

By Friday morning, temps are forecast to drop to the low 30s in far North Georgia, where a freeze warning is scheduled to go into effect at 4 a.m., according to Channel 2.

Although the warning doesn’t include metro Atlanta, Minton said she “can't rule out some upper 30s in a few counties.”

The low 40s, however, “will be the rule” for most, she said.

Friday’s high projected high is 69, but the latest models indicate the next eight to 14 days will trend on the cool side.

But the May-to-June outlook calls for above average temperatures overall, Channel 2 reported.

The next chance of rain is Sunday, when there is a 60 percent chance.

The next possibility for rain is Sunday, when there is a 30 percent chance. (Credit: Channel 2 Action News)

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