One more beautiful Summer day before windy, cooler temps arrive
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Well-above normal temperatures will persist for one more day before noticeable temperatures arrive in Middle Georgia. Low lying areas may once again 
see some patchy fog early Thursday, but expect improvements just after sunrise. After beginning the morning with low temperatures in the low 60s, for Friday expect afternoon highs to rise into the low to mid 80s in North Georgia and upper 80s in Middle Georgia. Over the course of the day, a strong low pressure system moves from the Central Great Lakes towards the far northeast U.S. , advancing a strong cold front towards North Georgia. With little opportunity for deep moisture return ahead of the front, rain chances will be limited, with only some isolated showers in far North 
Georgia on Friday night. The front will quickly progress southward overnight, clearing the area to the southeast by sunrise on Saturday. The big story for us is that a significantly cooler airmass will filter into the area in the wake of the front, giving us our first real taste of Fall for the year. Low temperatures on Saturday will be in the mid to upper 40s to the north of I-85 and in the 50s to the south. As cooler air becomes more established, afternoon highs will range from near 60 in the far northern tier to the low 70s in South-Central Georgia. An upper level ridge builds over the Eastern U.S. and the center of a strong surface high moves across the lower Midwest on Saturday night into Sunday. Strong radiational cooling under clear skies will lead to the coolest temperatures of the forecast period early Sunday morning, with widespread 40s and even some 30s in the higher elevations. As the surface high moves east of the Appalachians, a cold air wedge is forecast to keep highs limited to the low 60s in portions of northeast Georgia compared to the mid to upper 60s elsewhere across the region. Breezy easterly winds will also be present within this wedge. A gradual warming trend begins next week as the surface high moves into the West Atlantic and the ridge become centered over the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic coast.
