The National Weather Service forecasts sunny skies here in Cobb County on Saturday, August 26, 2023, with a high near 97 degrees.

The National Weather Service has also issued an air quality alert and a heat advisory for Cobb County and other parts of the region.

What does the extended forecast have in store?

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

Saturday

A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4 p.m. Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Heat index values as high as 106. North wind 5 to 10 mph. 

Saturday Night

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10 p.m. Mostly clear, with a low around 73. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight. 

Sunday

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Sunny, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 105. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. 

Sunday Night

Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 7 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. North wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Monday

Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m. High near 85. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

Monday Night

Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2 a.m. Low around 70. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

Tuesday

A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m. High near 82. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

Tuesday Night

Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 8 p.m, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 8 p.m and 2 a.m, then a slight chance of showers after 2 a.m. Low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

Wednesday

A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.

Wednesday Night

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.

What was the climate like in the latest reporting period?

The NWS climate summary for metro Atlanta has now been updated with July 2023 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.

Date	Max Temp	Min Temp	Average	Departure from norm	Precipitation
2023-07-01	96	73	84.5	4.4	0
2023-07-02	93	73	83	2.8	0.61
2023-07-03	89	72	80.5	0.2	0.01
2023-07-04	92	73	82.5	2.1	0
2023-07-05	88	75	81.5	1	0
2023-07-06	93	73	83	2.4	0
2023-07-07	92	74	83	2.4	T
2023-07-08	92	72	82	1.3	0
2023-07-09	91	71	81	0.2	0.19
2023-07-10	87	70	78.5	-2.3	0.73
2023-07-11	90	71	80.5	-0.4	0
2023-07-12	92	74	83	2	T
2023-07-13	92	74	83	2	0
2023-07-14	93	75	84	3	0
2023-07-15	93	77	85	3.9	0
2023-07-16	94	73	83.5	2.4	0
2023-07-17	91	71	81	-0.1	0
2023-07-18	93	73	83	1.8	T
2023-07-19	94	76	85	3.8	T
2023-07-20	96	74	85	3.8	T
2023-07-21	94	72	83	1.8	0.13
2023-07-22	87	71	79	-2.2	0.05
2023-07-23	92	72	82	0.8	0
2023-07-24	93	72	82.5	1.2	0
2023-07-25	95	71	83	1.7	T
2023-07-26	96	76	86	4.8	0
2023-07-27	97	75	86	4.8	0
2023-07-28	94	77	85.5	4.3	0.01
2023-07-29	98	77	87.5	6.3	0
2023-07-30	94	75	84.5	3.3	0
2023-07-31	97	74	85.5	4.3	0

Climate Almanac for metro Atlanta

This almanac provides information on past climate conditions for today’s date, August 26, allowing a comparison to current weather. Simply put, it helps you see what the weather would typically be like on this day according to historical data.

Daily Data	Observed	Normal	Record Highest	Record Lowest
Max Temperature	M	88	100 in 1943	71 in 1944
Min Temperature	M	71	76 in 2016	58 in 1942
Avg Temperature	M	79.2	87.5 in 1943	66.5 in 1942
Precipitation	M	0.13	2.48 in 1977	0.00 in 2021
Snowfall	M	0.0	0.0 in 2022	0.0 in 2022
Snow Depth	M	–	0 in 2022	0 in 2022
HDD (base 65)	M	0	0 in 2022	0 in 2022
CDD (base 65)	M	14	23 in 1943	2 in 1944
Month-to-Date Summary	Observed	Normal	Record Highest	Record Lowest
Avg Max Temperature	92.2	89.3	97.5 in 2007	81.6 in 1879
Avg Min Temperature	72.9	71.6	75.8 in 2007	66.0 in 1976
Avg Temperature	82.6	80.4	86.7 in 2007	74.3 in 1967
Total Precipitation	3.86	3.63	9.68 in 1901	0.02 in 1925
Total Snowfall	0.0	0.0	0.0 in 2023	0.0 in 2023
Max Snow Depth	0	–	0 in 2023	0 in 2023
Total HDD (base 65)	0	0	2 in 1949	0 in 2023
Total CDD (base 65)	445	401	570 in 2007	250 in 1967
Year-to-Date Summary	Observed	Normal	Record Highest	Record Lowest
Avg Max Temperature	76.9	74.8	77.8 in 2012	68.9 in 1895
Avg Min Temperature	58.3	55.5	58.4 in 2017	49.6 in 1940
Avg Temperature	67.6	65.2	68.0 in 2012	59.9 in 1940
Total Precipitation	30.90	34.11	52.35 in 1920	18.61 in 2007
Total Snowfall (since July 1)	0.0	0.0	T in 2001	0.0 in 2023
Max Snow Depth (since July 1)	0	–	T in 1942	0 in 2023
Total HDD (since July 1)	0	0	4 in 1936	0 in 2023
Total CDD (since Jan 1)	1678	1579	1883 in 2010	990 in 1961

Period of Record:

• Max Temperature : 1878-10-04 to 2023-08-25
• Min Temperature : 1878-10-04 to 2023-08-25
• Precipitation : 1878-10-01 to 2023-08-25
• Snowfall : 1928-12-25 to 2023-08-25
• Snow Depth : 1928-12-25 to 2023-08-25

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

Climate and climate change coverage in the Cobb County Courier

Looking for a US ‘climate haven’ away from heat and disaster risks? Good luck finding one

Extreme Heat Is Particularly Hard On Older Adults, And An Aging Population And Climate Change Are Putting Ever More People At Risk

How Climate Change Intensifies The Water Cycle, Fueling Extreme Rainfall And Flooding – The Northeast Deluge Was Just The Latest

Republicans’ Anti-ESG Attack May Be Silencing Insurers, But It Isn’t Changing Their Pro-Climate Business Decisions

KSU Professor Awarded NSF Grant To Study Effects Of Climate Change On Farming Communities In Iceland And Greenland

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.”