The National Weather Service forecasts mostly sunny skies here in Cobb County on Thursday, July 4, 2024, with a high near 96 degrees.
The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for Cobb County and other parts of the region due to a heat advisory that will go into effect at 1 p.m today to account for hot and humid conditions. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are also possible this afternoon and evening with the main threats being gusty winds and frequent lightning.
What you will read in this article
- The extended forecast for Cobb County
- Last month’s climate summary for the metro Atlanta region
- The climate almanac for metro Atlanta
- What the National Weather Service is, and what it does
What does the extended forecast have in store?
This forecast is centered on Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta.
Independence Day
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 96. Heat index values as high as 105. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 76. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2 p.m, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm between 2 p.m and 5 p.m, then showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. High near 94. Heat index values as high as 104. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday Night
Showers and thunderstorms before 11 p.m, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 11 p.m and 2 a.m, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m. Low around 73. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.
Saturday
A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 11 a.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.
Saturday Night
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11 p.m, then a slight chance of showers between 11 p.m and 2 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
Sunday
A slight chance of showers between 8 a.m and 2 p.m, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
Sunday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Monday
Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 93. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
Monday Night
Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
Tuesday
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 93. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
Tuesday Night
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
Wednesday
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.
What was the climate like in the latest reporting period?
The NWS climate summary for metro Atlanta has now been updated with June 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 | Max | Min | Average | Departure from norm | Precipitation |
| 2024-06-01 | 78 | 65 | 71.5 | -3.6 | 0 |
| 2024-06-02 | 85 | 67 | 76 | 0.6 | 0.06 |
| 2024-06-03 | 89 | 69 | 79 | 3.4 | T |
| 2024-06-04 | 86 | 70 | 78 | 2.2 | T |
| 2024-06-05 | 86 | 72 | 79 | 3 | 0.17 |
| 2024-06-06 | 85 | 70 | 77.5 | 1.3 | 0.1 |
| 2024-06-07 | 88 | 70 | 79 | 2.6 | 0 |
| 2024-06-08 | 87 | 63 | 75 | -1.6 | 0 |
| 2024-06-09 | 93 | 70 | 81.5 | 4.7 | 0 |
| 2024-06-10 | 85 | 69 | 77 | 0 | 0.4 |
| 2024-06-11 | 87 | 64 | 75.5 | -1.7 | 0 |
| 2024-06-12 | 89 | 71 | 80 | 2.6 | 0 |
| 2024-06-13 | 90 | 72 | 81 | 3.4 | 0 |
| 2024-06-14 | 95 | 72 | 83.5 | 5.8 | 0 |
| 2024-06-15 | 97 | 76 | 86.5 | 8.6 | 0.02 |
| 2024-06-16 | 96 | 75 | 85.5 | 7.4 | 0 |
| 2024-06-17 | 93 | 75 | 84 | 5.7 | T |
| 2024-06-18 | 91 | 73 | 82 | 3.6 | 0 |
| 2024-06-19 | 89 | 71 | 80 | 1.4 | 0 |
| 2024-06-20 | 90 | 73 | 81.5 | 2.8 | 0 |
| 2024-06-21 | 93 | 71 | 82 | 3.1 | 0 |
| 2024-06-22 | 98 | 74 | 86 | 7 | 0 |
| 2024-06-23 | 98 | 77 | 87.5 | 8.3 | 0 |
| 2024-06-24 | 97 | 75 | 86 | 6.7 | 0.21 |
| 2024-06-25 | 98 | 72 | 85 | 5.6 | 0 |
| 2024-06-26 | 100 | 75 | 87.5 | 7.9 | 0 |
| 2024-06-27 | 91 | 75 | 83 | 3.3 | T |
| 2024-06-28 | 91 | 75 | 83 | 3.2 | 0.13 |
| 2024-06-29 | 91 | 76 | 83.5 | 3.6 | 0.65 |
| 2024-06-30 | 97 | 77 | 87 | 7 | 0 |
Climate Almanac for metro Atlanta
This almanac provides information on past climate conditions for today’s date, July 4, 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 | 90 | 99 in 1948 | 72 in 1940 |
| Min Temperature | M | 71 | 77 in 2019 | 59 in 1967 |
| Avg Temperature | M | 80.4 | 86.0 in 2019 | 67.0 in 1933 |
| Precipitation | M | 0.17 | 3.70 in 1994 | 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 | 0 | 0 in 2023 | 0 in 2023 |
| CDD (base 65) | M | 15 | 21 in 2019 | 2 in 1933 |
| Month-to-Date Summary | Observed | Normal | Record Highest | Record Lowest |
| Avg Max Temperature | 93.0 | 89.5 | 98.8 in 2012 | 76.5 in 1943 |
| Avg Min Temperature | 77.3 | 71.1 | 77.3 in 2024 | 62.5 in 1924 |
| Avg Temperature | 85.2 | 80.3 | 85.9 in 2012 | 70.1 in 1943 |
| Total Precipitation | 0.00 | 0.68 | 3.91 in 1994 | 0.00 in 2024 |
| Total Snowfall | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 in 2024 | 0.0 in 2024 |
| Max Snow Depth | 0 | – | 0 in 2024 | 0 in 2024 |
| Total HDD (base 65) | 0 | 0 | 0 in 2024 | 0 in 2024 |
| Total CDD (base 65) | 61 | 61 | 84 in 2012 | 21 in 1943 |
| Year-to-Date Summary | Observed | Normal | Record Highest | Record Lowest |
| Avg Max Temperature | 72.8 | 70.5 | 74.1 in 2012 | 64.1 in 1895 |
| Avg Min Temperature | 53.7 | 50.8 | 54.4 in 1880 | 44.2 in 1940 |
| Avg Temperature | 63.3 | 60.7 | 64.2 in 2012 | 54.7 in 1940 |
| Total Precipitation | 28.72 | 26.41 | 43.90 in 1912 | 13.28 in 1986 |
| Total Snowfall (since July 1) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 in 2024 | 0.0 in 2024 |
| Max Snow Depth (since July 1) | 0 | – | 0 in 2024 | 0 in 2024 |
| Total HDD (since July 1) | 0 | 0 | 0 in 2024 | 0 in 2024 |
| Total CDD (since Jan 1) | 966 | 745 | 966 in 2024 | 394 in 1997 |
Period of Record:
- Max Temperature : 1878-10-04 to 2024-07-03
- Min Temperature : 1878-10-04 to 2024-07-03
- Precipitation : 1878-10-01 to 2024-07-03
- Snowfall : 1928-12-25 to 2024-07-03
- Snow Depth : 1928-12-25 to 2024-07-01
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.”
