Scorching temperatures expected across North Georgia

Weather Highlights

• Very hot and dry week (through at least Thursday, August 29)

• A more active but humid pattern likely to return by mid next weekend into the following week

Forecast Discussion

The false fall is officially over for North Georgia! A strong ridge previously centered over Oklahoma/Texas has begun its movement and expansion eastward into the Mississippi Valley and Corn Belt regions. Unfortunately for fall lovers, this ridge will continue building eastward into North Georgia by early week. The ridge will become centered over the Southeast & Tennessee by mid-week, and it looks to hang around through late week into early next weekend.

Temperatures will run in the upper 90s to around 100 for the entire week for most of the forecast area. Even high elevation areas in northeast Georgia could reach 90 for a several day stretch. The ridge’s position relative to North Georgia will act to suppress storm chances through at least Thursday. A brief uptick in drought conditions, especially across northwest Georgia, could occur as a result of this hot/dry pattern.

The ridge will begin moving offshore next weekend, as broad troughing establishes itself across the northeast quadrant of the U.S. Daily/evening storm chances will return across North Georgia, as early as Saturday or Sunday of next weekend and continue into the following week. North Georgia will likely sit along the western periphery of the Bermuda high, which will favor the transport of humid, tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico into the forecast area. So while high temperatures will cool some the following week, this pattern will still be very “un-fall-like” and more tropical (high humidity). Also given our approach to peak hurricane season, North Georgia could receive heavy rains from any tropical system working its way around Bermuda ridging.

To summarize, this week will be hot and dry. The following week will be hot (but less so than this week/upcoming weekend) & humid, with some days bringing scattered to widespread storm coverage.