The National Weather Service forecasts partly sunny skies here in Cobb County on Thursday, April 18, 2024, with a high near 86 degrees.
Tonight it is expected to be partly cloudy, with an overnight low of around 64 degrees.
What does the extended forecast have in store?
This forecast is centered on Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta.
Today
Patchy fog before 9 a.m. Otherwise, partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Friday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10 a.m, then a chance of showers between 10 a.m and noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday Night
A chance of thunderstorms before 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
Saturday
A 30 percent chance of showers after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 79. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
Saturday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54.
Sunday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 8 a.m. High near 62. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.
Sunday Night
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 8 p.m, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 8 p.m and 2 a.m. Low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.
Monday
Partly sunny, with a high near 68.
Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 47.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 76.
Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 53.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 79.
What was the climate like in the latest reporting period?
The NWS climate summary for metro Atlanta has now been updated with March 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 |
| 2024-03-01 | 49 | 40 | 44.5 | -7.4 | 1.11 |
| 2024-03-02 | 62 | 42 | 52 | -0.2 | T |
| 2024-03-03 | 70 | 49 | 59.5 | 7.1 | 0 |
| 2024-03-04 | 63 | 57 | 60 | 7.3 | T |
| 2024-03-05 | 61 | 55 | 58 | 5.1 | 1.02 |
| 2024-03-06 | 65 | 56 | 60.5 | 7.3 | 2.36 |
| 2024-03-07 | 76 | 53 | 64.5 | 11.1 | 0 |
| 2024-03-08 | 66 | 59 | 62.5 | 8.8 | 1.45 |
| 2024-03-09 | 69 | 52 | 60.5 | 6.6 | 0.65 |
| 2024-03-10 | 61 | 43 | 52 | -2.2 | 0 |
| 2024-03-11 | 67 | 38 | 52.5 | -1.9 | 0 |
| 2024-03-12 | 74 | 44 | 59 | 4.4 | 0 |
| 2024-03-13 | 75 | 47 | 61 | 6.1 | 0 |
| 2024-03-14 | 81 | 52 | 66.5 | 11.4 | 0 |
| 2024-03-15 | 72 | 61 | 66.5 | 11.1 | 0.36 |
| 2024-03-16 | 75 | 57 | 66 | 10.4 | 0 |
| 2024-03-17 | 67 | 53 | 60 | 4.1 | 0.02 |
| 2024-03-18 | 61 | 40 | 50.5 | -5.6 | 0 |
| 2024-03-19 | 60 | 33 | 46.5 | -9.8 | 0 |
| 2024-03-20 | 74 | 42 | 58 | 1.4 | 0 |
| 2024-03-21 | 77 | 51 | 64 | 7.2 | 0 |
| 2024-03-22 | 65 | 56 | 60.5 | 3.4 | 0.25 |
| 2024-03-23 | 69 | 50 | 59.5 | 2.2 | 0.04 |
| 2024-03-24 | 65 | 43 | 54 | -3.5 | 0 |
| 2024-03-25 | 64 | 47 | 55.5 | -2.3 | 0 |
| 2024-03-26 | 62 | 53 | 57.5 | -0.5 | 0.72 |
| 2024-03-27 | 74 | 53 | 63.5 | 5.2 | T |
| 2024-03-28 | 68 | 50 | 59 | 0.5 | 0 |
| 2024-03-29 | 72 | 43 | 57.5 | -1.2 | 0 |
| 2024-03-30 | 77 | 49 | 63 | 4 | 0 |
| 2024-03-31 | 80 | 56 | 68 | 8.8 | 0 |
Climate Almanac for metro Atlanta
This almanac provides information on past climate conditions for today’s date, April 18, 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 | 74 | 87 in 2002 | 50 in 1983 |
| Min Temperature | M | 53 | 69 in 1927 | 33 in 1997 |
| Avg Temperature | M | 63.8 | 77.5 in 1927 | 42.5 in 1983 |
| Precipitation | M | 0.12 | 2.65 in 1943 | 0.00 in 2023 |
| Snowfall | M | 0.0 | 0.0 in 2023 | 0.0 in 2023 |
| Snow Depth | M | – | 0 in 2023 | 0 in 2023 |
| HDD (base 65) | M | 3 | 22 in 1983 | 0 in 2023 |
| CDD (base 65) | M | 2 | 13 in 1927 | 0 in 2023 |
| Month-to-Date Summary | Observed | Normal | Record Highest | Record Lowest |
| Avg Max Temperature | 74.4 | 72.3 | 79.3 in 1967 | 59.7 in 1907 |
| Avg Min Temperature | 54.0 | 50.8 | 58.2 in 2015 | 40.7 in 1907 |
| Avg Temperature | 64.2 | 61.6 | 67.9 in 1967 | 50.2 in 1907 |
| Total Precipitation | 4.65 | 2.32 | 9.50 in 1979 | T in 1976 |
| Total Snowfall | 0.0 | 0.0 | T in 2022 | 0.0 in 2024 |
| Max Snow Depth | 0 | – | 0 in 2024 | 0 in 2024 |
| Total HDD (base 65) | 54 | 90 | 262 in 1907 | 7 in 1967 |
| Total CDD (base 65) | 46 | 28 | 70 in 1999 | 0 in 2016 |
| Year-to-Date Summary | Observed | Normal | Record Highest | Record Lowest |
| Avg Max Temperature | 63.8 | 61.6 | 67.0 in 2017 | 52.9 in 1902 |
| Avg Min Temperature | 44.2 | 41.8 | 47.3 in 2023 | 33.9 in 1940 |
| Avg Temperature | 54.0 | 51.7 | 57.0 in 2017 | 43.7 in 1940 |
| Total Precipitation | 22.95 | 16.14 | 32.81 in 1936 | 7.80 in 1986 |
| Total Snowfall (since July 1) | T | 2.2 | 10.9 in 1936 | 0.0 in 2019 |
| Max Snow Depth (since July 1) | 0 | – | 8 in 1940 | 0 in 2024 |
| Total HDD (since July 1) | 2015 | 2491 | 3785 in 1977 | 1656 in 2017 |
| Total CDD (since Jan 1) | 56 | 47 | 152 in 2012 | 0 in 1902 |
| Period of Record:Max Temperature : 1878-10-04 to 2024-04-17Min Temperature : 1878-10-04 to 2024-04-17Precipitation : 1878-10-01 to 2024-04-17Snowfall : 1928-12-25 to 2024-04-16Snow Depth : 1928-12-25 to 2024-04-16 | ||||
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.”
