SATURDAY’S WEATHER-TRAFFIC: Chilly morning to warm up quickly for first weekend of spring

ATLANTA FORECAST

Saturday: High: 70

Saturday night: Low: 41

Sunday: High: 74

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

Saturday may have started off chilly, but it’s expected to warm up to about 70 degrees by this afternoon.

“Spring is finally here and feeling like it,” said Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Eboni Deon, calling it a great day for outdoor activities.

It’s the second nice weekend in a row after a string of rainy Saturdays and Sundays dating back to late January.

No rain in the forecast for the second weekend in a row,” Deon said, “so get outside and enjoy it.”

Temperatures across metro Atlanta started off about 40 degrees this morning, but residents in Blairsville and the far northeast Georgia mountains woke up to near-freezing temperatures.

The chilly temperatures aren’t expected to last, however.

“We will continue to feel that chill over the next couple of hours and then those temperatures will really start to warm up nicely,” Deon said.

It is expected to reach the low 50s by 11 a.m. By late afternoon, however, temperatures will climb to the mid and upper-60s, Deon said, and Sunday is expected to be even warmer.

That makes conditions ideal to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. Several morning 5Ks, spring festivals and outdoor activities are scheduled across metro Atlanta. The early morning runners might be a little chilly, but the afternoon weather should only enhance the other events.

MORE: Spring festivals: 16 things to do this weekend in metro Atlanta

The only downside to the dry weather is that the pollen count will likely stay high, affecting allergy sufferers. The pollen count Friday was 208 particles per cubic meter of air, which is in the high range. Channel 2 meteorologist Katie Walls said she expects the number to go up this weekend.

It may be the middle of the first round of March Madness, but the Hawks will play a home game tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers. The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. at State Farm Arena and downtown traffic will likely be affected.