The National Weather Service forecasts showers and thunderstorms here in Cobb County on Thursday, January 25, 2024, with a high near 68 degrees.

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook and a flood watch for Cobb County and other parts of the region due to showers and isolated thunderstorms that are expected Today and Tonight across north and central Georgia.

What does the extended forecast have in store?

Thursday

Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 1 p.m, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 1 p.m and 3 p.m, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 3 p.m. Patchy fog before 3 p.m. High near 68. South wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible. 

Thursday Night

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8 p.m, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8 p.m. Patchy fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 61. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. 

Friday

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog before 9 a.m. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 68. Southwest wind around 5 mph. 

Friday Night

A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely after 1 a.m. Cloudy, with a low around 58. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Saturday

Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 66. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.

Saturday Night

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1 a.m, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54.

Sunday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38.

Monday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 50.

Monday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 32.

Tuesday

Sunny, with a high near 55.

Tuesday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 37.

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 59.

What was the climate like in the latest reporting period?

The NWS climate summary for metro Atlanta has now been updated with December 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	High	Low	Average	Departure from norm	Precipitation
2023-12-01	66	47	56.5	6.5	0.15
2023-12-02	67	58	62.5	12.7	T
2023-12-03	69	52	60.5	10.9	0.1
2023-12-04	69	45	57	7.6	0
2023-12-05	61	40	50.5	1.3	0
2023-12-06	54	39	46.5	-2.5	0
2023-12-07	59	32	45.5	-3.3	0
2023-12-08	63	37	50	1.4	0
2023-12-09	69	52	60.5	12.1	0.28
2023-12-10	65	38	51.5	3.3	1.16
2023-12-11	51	33	42	-6	0
2023-12-12	56	33	44.5	-3.3	0
2023-12-13	59	35	47	-0.7	0
2023-12-14	59	42	50.5	3	0
2023-12-15	60	35	47.5	0.2	0
2023-12-16	58	41	49.5	2.4	T
2023-12-17	54	48	51	4	0.01
2023-12-18	58	37	47.5	0.7	0
2023-12-19	47	29	38	-8.7	0
2023-12-20	53	29	41	-5.5	0
2023-12-21	57	32	44.5	-1.9	0
2023-12-22	58	40	49	2.8	0
2023-12-23	67	44	55.5	9.4	0
2023-12-24	65	46	55.5	9.5	0.01
2023-12-25	63	57	60	14.2	1.7
2023-12-26	63	53	58	12.3	0.27
2023-12-27	58	47	52.5	6.9	T
2023-12-28	56	39	47.5	2	0
2023-12-29	45	34	39.5	-5.9	T
2023-12-30	49	34	41.5	-3.7	0
2023-12-31	57	31	44	-1.2	0

Period of Record:

• Max Temperature : 1893-01-26 to 2024-01-24
• Min Temperature : 1884-10-24 to 2024-01-24
• Precipitation : 1857-03-01 to 2024-01-24
• Snowfall : 1859-02-01 to 2024-01-22
• Snow Depth : 1903-12-09 to 2023-09-29

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.”