Warm weather to return Friday

ATLANTA FORECAST

Today: Severe storms possible. High: 66

Tonight: Rain tapers off. Low: 55

Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. High: 70

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

Any spotty showers lingering from the afternoon have long gone.

And Friday should be bring warm weather to the metro area.

The expected high is 71 degrees, according to Channel 2 Action News, marking the start of a warming trend.

The forecast high is 73 Saturday and 71 Sunday. Temperatures are expected to stay in the 70s through next week.

Showers have largely cleared out of the metro Atlanta area, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Just before noon Thursday but they weren’t severe. Moderate showers hit Cherokee and Cobb counties before spreading to other metro areas.

There were a few showers in Bartow and Cherokee counties at 5 p.m., Channel 2 Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns said.

Storms are scattered to the north and south of Atlanta, Channel 2 reported. There were also reports of pea-sized hail in White County.

Currently, the temperature is 58 degrees in Atlanta.

“That’s way too cool to support any thunderstorms across North Georgia,” Burns said.

And while temperatures are down, pollen is up.

The count increased from 265 particles per cubic meter of air Wednesday to 631 Thursday, according to Atlanta Allergy and Asthma.

The pollen count could increase as rain vanishes and temperatures return to the 70s.