Another dreary day before a dry chilly Halloween

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A ridge of high pressure extends down from over Northern Quebec. The wedge with cold air damming continues to bring stable conditions to northern and Middle Georgia. Overcast skies and cooler than normal conditions will persist. The daytime highs for today will be in the mid 40s to low 70s. A cold front is forecast to push over the state later this morning, bringing scattered showers. While isolated thunderstorms cannot be completely ruled out, they are unlikely. Models do show a modest increase in instability, but some stability will linger at the mid-levels, and temperatures will remain relatively cool at the surface. Rainfall amounts will generally fall between 0.25  and 0.75 inches, except for northern Georgia in which  amounts of 1 to 1.5 inches are possible. Some gusty winds are likely ahead of the frontal boundary, with east to southeast winds at 5 to 10 mph expected, with gusts to 15 to 20 mph.  We kick off Thursday with an exiting closed low at the mid-levels and exiting low pressure at the surface, and dry northwesterly flow setting up in its wake. Lingering showers are likely to continue into the early afternoon supported by retreating wrap-around moisture on the backside of the low. Thursday looks to be the coolest day this week, with highs in the 50s to mid 60s  (and in the 40s for far northeast Georgia). Weak high pressure gradually builds in at the surface to round out the work week and takes us into the weekend, supporting mild and dry conditions for the majority of the forecast (including Halloween). Highs will warm by a degree or two each day through the remainder of the extended forecast, reaching back into the mid-60s to mid-70s by Tuesday.