Rain, 70-degree weather expected Thursday

ATLANTA FORECAST

Today: Breezy and warmer. High: 77

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Low: 49

Tomorrow: Evening storms likely. High: 73

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

The metro ditched the chilly weather and made it into the 70s in Atlanta.

“Everybody was getting sick and tired of being cold,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Karen Minton said Wednesday. “Today, we warm(ed) it up.”

Currently, it’s 69 degrees in Atlanta, well above the average high of 68. The high was 76.

Visitors enjoy walking up Stone Mountain on a pleasant Wednesday morning. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

It was even warmer in other parts of the state, reaching the 80s in LaGrange and Eatonton, Channel 2 reported.

And there’s even more good news.

Though still in the high range, Atlanta’s pollen count dropped from 801 particles per cubic meter of air Tuesday to 110 Wednesday, according to Atlanta Allergy and Asthma. Wet weather in the forecast could also help out allergy sufferers later in the week.

While rain is not in Wednesday night’s forecast, a system could bring isolated severe storms to metro Atlanta on Thursday night into Friday.

There is a 70 percent chance of showers and storms Thursday and a 40 percent chance of morning showers Friday.

Rain is expected to develop in metro Atlanta between noon and 1 p.m. Thursday and turn severe about midnight, Minton said. Damaging winds, lightning and heavy rain are possible, and some spots could pick up about an inch of rain.

Then, showers are expected to clear for a warm and sunny Easter weekend, Channel 2 reported.