The National Weather Service forecasts mostly cloudy skies here in Cobb County on Thursday, February 29, 2024, with a high near 57 degrees.
Tonight it is expected to be cloudy, with an overnight low of around 40 degrees.
What does the extended forecast have in store?
This forecast is centered on Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta.
Today
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
Tonight
A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly after 3 a.m. Cloudy, with a low around 40. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday
Showers. High near 46. East wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Friday Night
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 42. East wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.
Saturday
Isolated thunderstorms before 7 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 10 percent.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.
Sunday
Partly sunny, with a high near 68.
Sunday Night
Isolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
Monday
Scattered showers, mainly after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
Monday Night
Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.
Tuesday
Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.
Tuesday Night
Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
Wednesday
Showers likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
What was the climate like in the latest reporting period?
The NWS climate summary for metro Atlanta has now been updated with January 2024 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.”
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 | High | Low | Average | Departure from norm | Precipitation |
| 2024-01-01 | 50 | 34 | 42 | -3.1 | 0 |
| 2024-01-02 | 54 | 30 | 42 | -3 | 0 |
| 2024-01-03 | 47 | 31 | 39 | -5.9 | 0.03 |
| 2024-01-04 | 53 | 34 | 43.5 | -1.3 | 0 |
| 2024-01-05 | 53 | 32 | 42.5 | -2.2 | 0.17 |
| 2024-01-06 | 51 | 39 | 45 | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| 2024-01-07 | 51 | 36 | 43.5 | -1.1 | T |
| 2024-01-08 | 52 | 33 | 42.5 | -2.1 | 0.44 |
| 2024-01-09 | 54 | 40 | 47 | 2.5 | 2.75 |
| 2024-01-10 | 51 | 37 | 44 | -0.5 | 0 |
| 2024-01-11 | 62 | 35 | 48.5 | 4 | 0 |
| 2024-01-12 | 56 | 42 | 49 | 4.5 | 0.22 |
| 2024-01-13 | 50 | 31 | 40.5 | -4 | 0 |
| 2024-01-14 | 58 | 30 | 44 | -0.5 | 0 |
| 2024-01-15 | 61 | 42 | 51.5 | 7 | 0 |
| 2024-01-16 | 46 | 18 | 32 | -12.5 | 0.4 |
| 2024-01-17 | 39 | 13 | 26 | -18.5 | 0 |
| 2024-01-18 | 51 | 24 | 37.5 | -7 | 0 |
| 2024-01-19 | 48 | 27 | 37.5 | -7.1 | 0.02 |
| 2024-01-20 | 32 | 17 | 24.5 | -20.1 | 0 |
| 2024-01-21 | 41 | 14 | 27.5 | -17.2 | 0 |
| 2024-01-22 | 50 | 27 | 38.5 | -6.2 | 0 |
| 2024-01-23 | 52 | 41 | 46.5 | 1.7 | 0.05 |
| 2024-01-24 | 63 | 48 | 55.5 | 10.6 | 0.09 |
| 2024-01-25 | 72 | 61 | 66.5 | 21.5 | 1.1 |
| 2024-01-26 | 69 | 60 | 64.5 | 19.4 | 0 |
| 2024-01-27 | 66 | 57 | 61.5 | 16.3 | 0.46 |
| 2024-01-28 | 56 | 44 | 50 | 4.7 | T |
| 2024-01-29 | 54 | 39 | 46.5 | 1.1 | 0 |
| 2024-01-30 | 61 | 33 | 47 | 1.4 | T |
| 2024-01-31 | 56 | 40 | 48 | 2.3 | T |
Climate Almanac for metro Atlanta
This almanac provides information on past climate conditions for today’s date, February 29, 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 | 62 | 77 in 1976 | 32 in 1884 |
| Min Temperature | M | 42 | 59 in 2012 | 11 in 1884 |
| Avg Temperature | M | 51.8 | 64.5 in 2012 | 21.5 in 1884 |
| Precipitation | M | M | 0.92 in 1900 | 0.00 in 2020 |
| Snowfall | M | M | 2.3 in 1968 | 0.0 in 2020 |
| Snow Depth | M | – | 1 in 1968 | 0 in 2020 |
| HDD (base 65) | M | 13 | 43 in 1884 | 0 in 2012 |
| CDD (base 65) | M | 0 | 0 in 2020 | 0 in 2020 |
| Month-to-Date Summary | Observed | Normal | Record Highest | Record Lowest |
| Avg Max Temperature | 63.9 | 58.3 | 65.2 in 1976 | 47.9 in 1908 |
| Avg Min Temperature | 42.9 | 39.0 | 45.1 in 1932 | 27.3 in 1968 |
| Avg Temperature | 53.4 | 48.7 | 53.4 in 2024 | 38.2 in 1968 |
| Total Precipitation | 3.89 | 4.55 | 10.58 in 2020 | 1.26 in 2000 |
| Total Snowfall | 0.0 | 0.4 | 3.9 in 1952 | 0.0 in 2024 |
| Max Snow Depth | 0 | – | 3 in 1936 | 0 in 2024 |
| Total HDD (base 65) | 319 | 476 | 769 in 1968 | 319 in 2024 |
| Total CDD (base 65) | 0 | 2 | 13 in 1944 | 0 in 2024 |
| Year-to-Date Summary | Observed | Normal | Record Highest | Record Lowest |
| Avg Max Temperature | 58.4 | 56.1 | 60.6 in 1880 | 44.4 in 1940 |
| Avg Min Temperature | 38.8 | 37.3 | 45.2 in 1880 | 26.8 in 1940 |
| Avg Temperature | 48.6 | 46.7 | 52.9 in 1880 | 35.6 in 1940 |
| Total Precipitation | 10.32 | 9.14 | 19.24 in 1936 | 5.33 in 1928 |
| Total Snowfall (since July 1) | T | 1.8 | 10.9 in 1936 | 0.0 in 1932 |
| Max Snow Depth (since July 1) | 0 | – | 8 in 1940 | 0 in 2024 |
| Total HDD (since July 1) | 1750 | 2093 | 2896 in 1940 | 1443 in 1932 |
| Total CDD (since Jan 1) | 2 | 2 | 13 in 1944 | 0 in 2020 |
Period of Record:
- Max Temperature : 1878-10-04 to 2024-02-28
- Min Temperature : 1878-10-04 to 2024-02-28
- Precipitation : 1878-10-01 to 2024-02-28
- Snowfall : 1928-12-25 to 2024-02-27
- Snow Depth : 1928-12-25 to 2024-02-24
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.”
