The National Weather Service forecasts partly sunny skies here in Cobb County on Saturday, May 20, 2023, with a high near 78 degrees.

Tonight it is expected to be mostly cloudy, with an overnight low of around 63 degrees.

What does the extended forecast have in store?

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

Today

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 78. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.

Tonight

A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming northeast after midnight. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Sunday

A slight chance of thunderstorms before 8 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Northeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10 percent.

Sunday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Monday

A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. East wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Monday Night

A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.

Tuesday

A 20 percent chance of showers before 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 75.

Tuesday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 59.

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 77.

Wednesday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.

Thursday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 59.

Friday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.

What was the climate like in the latest reporting period?

The NWS climate summary for metro Atlanta has now been updated with November figures.

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.”

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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.

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Date	High	Low	Average	Departure from normal	Precipitation
2023-04-01	81	57	69	9.5	0.5
2023-04-02	72	48	60	0.3	0
2023-04-03	59	54	56.5	-3.4	0.12
2023-04-04	78	57	67.5	7.3	T
2023-04-05	87	65	76	15.6	0
2023-04-06	83	69	76	15.3	0
2023-04-07	79	52	65.5	4.6	0.12
2023-04-08	52	44	48	-13.2	0.87
2023-04-09	66	44	55	-6.4	T
2023-04-10	66	46	56	-5.7	0
2023-04-11	73	46	59.5	-2.4	0
2023-04-12	78	48	63	0.8	0
2023-04-13	65	55	60	-2.5	0.79
2023-04-14	71	61	66	3.3	0.1
2023-04-15	80	58	69	6	0
2023-04-16	74	56	65	1.8	0.08
2023-04-17	71	47	59	-4.5	0
2023-04-18	80	49	64.5	0.7	0
2023-04-19	83	54	68.5	4.5	0
2023-04-20	84	59	71.5	7.2	0
2023-04-21	79	59	69	4.4	0
2023-04-22	71	55	63	-1.8	0.03
2023-04-23	71	51	61	-4.1	0
2023-04-24	69	50	59.5	-5.9	T
2023-04-25	74	47	60.5	-5.1	0
2023-04-26	62	56	59	-6.9	T
2023-04-27	62	55	58.5	-7.7	0.4
2023-04-28	79	60	69.5	3.1	T
2023-04-29	74	57	65.5	-1.2	0.21
2023-04-30	73	53	63	-4	1.15

Yesterday’s climate summary

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

What does the National Weather Service do?

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.”