The National Weather Service forecasts sunny skies early in the day on Thursday here in Cobb County with a 20 percent chance of afternoon showers, a high near 95, and a heat index near 99.

Extended forecast

This forecast is centered on Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta.

Thursday

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Sunny, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 99. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Thursday Night

A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 72. North wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.

Friday

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Heat index values as high as 97. East wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.

Friday Night

A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. East wind 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.

Saturday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.

Sunday

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.

Sunday Night

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.

Monday

A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.

Monday Night

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.

Tuesday

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.

Tuesday Night

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68.

Wednesday

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.

May 2022 climate summary for Atlanta area

In an article entitled What is the Difference between Climate and Weather?, the National Ocean Service describes the difference as follows:

Weather is what you see outside on any particular day. So, for example, it may be 75° degrees and sunny or it could be 20° degrees with heavy snow. That’s the weather.

Climate is the average of that weather. For example, you can expect snow in the Northeast in January or for it to be hot and humid in the Southeast in July. This is climate. The climate record also includes extreme values such as record high temperatures or record amounts of rainfall. If you’ve ever heard your local weather person say “today we hit a record high for this day,” she is talking about climate records.

So when we are talking about climate change, we are talking about changes in long-term averages of daily weather. In most places, weather can change from minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and season-to-season. Climate, however, is the average of weather over time and space.

The climate report for the Atlanta area for the previous month shows how much departure from the average temperatures that month represents. The average temperature for a date is the average over a 30-year period.

Date	Maximum	Minimum	Average	Departure from Norm	Precipitation
2022-05-01	81	65	73	5.7	0
2022-05-02	86	65	75.5	8	0
2022-05-03	86	66	76	8.2	0
2022-05-04	87	64	75.5	7.4	0.41
2022-05-05	87	67	77	8.7	0
2022-05-06	80	67	73.5	4.9	0.15
2022-05-07	69	60	64.5	-4.4	0
2022-05-08	69	54	61.5	-7.7	T
2022-05-09	73	53	63	-6.4	0
2022-05-10	82	57	69.5	-0.2	0
2022-05-11	84	60	72	2	0
2022-05-12	85	64	74.5	4.3	0
2022-05-13	79	65	72	1.5	T
2022-05-14	82	63	72.5	1.8	0
2022-05-15	86	66	76	5	T
2022-05-16	87	66	76.5	5.2	0
2022-05-17	85	60	72.5	1	0
2022-05-18	88	63	75.5	3.7	0
2022-05-19	90	70	80	8	0
2022-05-20	88	69	78.5	6.2	0
2022-05-21	89	71	80	7.5	0
2022-05-22	88	70	79	6.2	0.02
2022-05-23	78	68	73	0	1.47
2022-05-24	84	68	76	2.7	T
2022-05-25	80	68	74	0.5	0.2
2022-05-26	76	69	72.5	-1.3	0.18
2022-05-27	82	66	74	0	T
2022-05-28	81	60	70.5	-3.7	0
2022-05-29	86	68	77	2.5	0
2022-05-30	89	68	78.5	3.8	T
2022-05-31	87	67	77	2.1	0
Sum	2574	2007
Average	83.03	64.7	73.9
Normal	81.1	61.3	71.2

For much more information on the climate in our area, visit the NWS Climate FAQ for the Atlanta area.

About the National Weather Service

The National Weather Service (NWS) is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The NWS describes its role as follows:

The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, water, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. These services include Forecasts and Observations, Warnings, Impact-based Decision Support Services, and Education in an effort to build a Weather-Ready Nation. The ultimate goal is to have a society that is prepared for and responds to weather, water and climate events.

Read all the Cobb County Courier climate and weather coverage by following this link.