Bring a jacket and an umbrella to work Thursday. Rain’s on the way.

“That high pressure that was giving us a clear sky is now moving in a position to bring in those southwesterly winds,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Karen Minton said. “It’s increasing our moisture.”

High pressure is sitting south of Atlanta and moving east as the area waits for a cold front to bring possible severe storms Thursday evening.

There’s an isolated risk of damaging wind, hail and lightning for the east metro area, up into Blairsville and down to Griffin. But the greater risk is southwest and northwest of Atlanta.

A line of storms will approach the northern metro area between 4 and 6 p.m. and spread throughout metro Atlanta by later that evening.

“This afternoon,” Minton said, “enjoy.”

Temperatures were 71 degrees in Atlanta, 67 degrees in Blairsville and 71 degrees in Griffin just before 7 p.m.

“It’s very nice outside,” Minton said.

And that means the return of extreme levels of pollen.

Wednesday's count was 2,402 particles of pollen per cubic meter of air — just under the highest pollen count of the season so far Saturday at 2,890 particles. However, that was still less than last year's season high of 6,152 on April 9.

» Check the full forecast and track changes

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