Unseasonably warm conditions expected Friday

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The First Friday of February will be a warm one around Middle Georgia.
The Rest of the Evening
High level clouds began to move in this afternoon and will continue to do so as the night draws on. Winds will largely come from the west-northwest around 5 mph as temperatures drop into the upper 30s for most of the region.
Groundhog Day
Tomorrow morning a number of clouds will be present. This will increase the odds that General Beauregard Lee in Butts County does not see his shadow, translating to an early spring. However, these clouds will be thin, so some sun will come through, complicating this prediction. Regardless of what the local Groundhog sees, afternoon conditions will be warm and sunny as highs reach into the lower 70s for much of the region. Wind will come from the northwest at about 5-10 mph.
Overnight skies will be mostly clear with lows in the lower 40s expected. Wind will shift from the northwest to the northeast at about 5 mph throughout the night.
This Weekend and Beyond
Saturday will be a pleasant one around Middle Georgia with highs reaching into the low to mid 60s. Wind will come from the east northeast at about 5-12 mph, gusting upwards of 20 mph, so expect things to be a bit breezy. Cloud cover will begin to roll in during the evening, thickening overnight. Overnight lows will be in the low to mid 40s heading into Sunday morning.
Sunday looks like a washout with widespread rain moving in during the morning hours and sticking around through the day. Highs will only reach into the upper 40s and lower 50s with northeast winds powering in at 10-30 mph. Gusts could reach over 40 mph at times during the afternoon. Expect the strong winds and rain to linger through the overnight hours and into Monday before calming Monday evening. Rain should slow heading into Monday with showers lingering into much of Monday afternoon. Sunnier conditions will return next Tuesday.
Follow Meteorologist Aaron Lowery on Facebook (Aaron Lowery 41NBC) and Twitter (@ALowWX) for weather updates throughout the day. Also, you can watch his forecasts Monday through Friday on 41NBC News at 4, 5, 5:30, 6, and 11 p.m.