COLUMBUS, Ga. - Columbus is forecast to reach 82 degrees Friday before rain chances climb to 60% Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. The weekend will bring an 11-degree drop in daytime highs, increasing shower chances Saturday afternoon and a wetter Sunday. Clocks also fall back one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, moving sunset to 5:49 p.m. under Eastern Standard Time.

The forecast issued at 2:26 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, shows dry conditions continuing through Friday before a weather system approaches from the west. Saturday's rain chance reaches 30% during the afternoon and 50% overnight, followed by a 60% chance Sunday. The National Weather Service expects the system to clear late Sunday, with partly sunny skies returning Monday. Forecasts can change before the weekend, so check the latest weather service forecast before making outdoor plans.

Columbus Forecast: Friday Through Monday

Source: National Weather Service forecast for Columbus, issued Oct. 28, 2026. Highs are daytime temperatures, and lows are the following overnight temperatures. Rain probabilities follow the rounded NWS forecast wording except Monday, which uses the reported numerical value.

Friday, Oct. 30: Warm and Dry With a High of 82

Friday should bring the warmest weather of the four-day forecast period, with partly sunny skies and a high near 82 degrees. The National Weather Service gives Columbus a 0% chance of precipitation during the day, with northeast winds around 5 mph. Friday night will turn mostly cloudy as temperatures fall to around 61 degrees, but the forecast keeps rain chances at 0%.

The conditions follow a Thursday forecast featuring mostly sunny skies and a high near 81 degrees. The National Weather Service expects a gradual warming trend through the end of the workweek, supported by the existing pressure pattern across the region. Of the four days in the table, Friday has the driest forecast.

Saturday, Oct. 31: Showers Possible After 2 P.M.

Saturday starts mostly cloudy, with temperatures climbing from around 67 degrees at 10 a.m. to 73 degrees at noon. The hourly forecast shows only a 4% chance of rain through early afternoon, but that probability jumps to 30% at 2 p.m. Temperatures should reach approximately 78 degrees during the afternoon, with an official daily high near 79.

The National Weather Service expects east winds of 5 to 10 mph during the day, with hourly forecasts indicating around 10 mph during the afternoon. Shower chances remain near 30% through 6 p.m., when temperatures should be around 75 degrees. For outdoor plans and game travel, the afternoon marks the transition from mostly dry conditions to a more unsettled pattern.

Saturday evening brings greater rain chances as the approaching system moves closer. The hourly forecast shows a 41% chance of precipitation around 8 and 9 p.m., with temperatures falling from approximately 72 to 70 degrees. The broader overnight forecast calls for a 50% chance of showers, a low near 60 degrees and east winds increasing to 10 to 15 mph.

Sunday, Nov. 1: Rain Likely, High Near 71

Sunday carries the highest rain probability in the four-day forecast, with showers likely and a 60% chance of precipitation. Cloudy skies will accompany a high near 71 degrees, making Sunday 11 degrees cooler than Friday and 8 degrees cooler than Saturday. Northeast winds should reach 10 to 15 mph as the system passes through the region.

The hourly forecast suggests rain chances will be greatest during the morning hours. At 6 a.m., the temperature should be around 61 degrees with a 48% precipitation chance, increasing to 57% from approximately 7 a.m. through noon. Temperatures should climb from the lower 60s into the upper 60s during that period, with showers classified as likely.

By early afternoon, the hourly forecast lowers the precipitation probability to 49%, although showers will remain possible. Temperatures should reach approximately 68 to 70 degrees from 1 to 6 p.m., while winds turn from east to northeast. Sunday night carries a 50% chance of showers before 1 a.m., followed by mostly cloudy conditions and a low near 57 degrees.

Why Rain Chances Increase This Weekend

The National Weather Service forecast discussion issued Wednesday evening describes a changing weather pattern across Georgia. A strong high-pressure system centered off the Northeast coast and a weak low off Florida's coast have maintained northeast-to-east winds. That pattern supports relatively dry and temperate weather through the end of the workweek.

Forecasters expect the high-pressure influence to weaken as a trough, or low-pressure system, approaches from the west. The discussion indicates shower chances and possibly a thunderstorm will increase late Saturday evening before the system moves through Sunday. The National Weather Service expects the system to clear late Sunday, allowing clearer fall conditions to return.

Forecast models disagree about how much rainfall the system could produce. The American GFS model indicates approximately 1.5 to 2.5 inches in its wetter scenario, while the European model projects less than half an inch. These figures represent competing model scenarios discussed by forecasters, not an exact rainfall prediction for Columbus.

The National Weather Service describes the severe weather threat as marginal and says existing drought conditions should reduce the overall flooding threat. Forecasters also mention possible localized flash flooding if repeated storms develop under the wetter GFS scenario, particularly in the Atlanta metro area. The forecast discussion listed no watches or warnings as of Wednesday evening.

Georgia-Florida Game in Atlanta: Around 72 Degrees

Fans traveling to Atlanta for Saturday's 3:30 p.m. Georgia-Florida game can expect mostly cloudy skies and temperatures near 72 degrees around kickoff. The National Weather Service forecast for Atlanta calls for a Saturday high near 73 degrees and only a 6% daytime rain chance. East winds should reach approximately 15 mph through the afternoon.

The hourly forecast places Atlanta at 68 degrees around noon, 70 degrees at 1 p.m. and 71 degrees at 2 p.m. Temperatures should hold near 72 degrees from 3 to 4 p.m., then ease to 71 degrees at 5 p.m. and 70 degrees at 6 p.m. Rain chances remain around 6% during the afternoon before increasing later Saturday evening.

By 8 p.m., Atlanta's hourly precipitation chance increases to 24%, with temperatures near 68 degrees. Saturday night's broader forecast calls for a 40% chance of showers after 8 p.m. and a low around 56 degrees. Travelers returning to Columbus should account for the separate 30% afternoon shower chance locally and increasing rain probabilities Saturday night.

Sunday Time Change: Sunset Moves to 5:49 P.M.

Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, when clocks move backward one hour from Eastern Daylight Time to Eastern Standard Time. The change shifts sunrise and sunset to earlier clock times even though the actual amount of daylight changes only slightly. Columbus will see sunset move from 6:50 p.m. Saturday to 5:49 p.m. Sunday, a difference of 61 minutes on the clock.

The times above come from U.S. Naval Observatory calculations for Columbus, using coordinates 32.46 north and 84.99 west. Saturday's civil twilight begins at 7:31 a.m. and ends at 7:16 p.m., according to the Naval Observatory. After Sunday's clock change, civil twilight begins at 6:32 a.m. and ends at 6:15 p.m. The actual daylight period shortens by just two minutes between Saturday and Sunday, from 10 hours and 54 minutes to 10 hours and 52 minutes.

Monday and Beyond: Drier Weather Returns

Monday's forecast calls for partly sunny skies and a high near 76 degrees, with the numerical precipitation probability at approximately 13%. That would represent a five-degree increase from Sunday's expected high of 71 degrees. The National Weather Service expects several days of clearer fall weather after the weekend system moves away.

Tuesday, Nov. 3, is forecast to be mostly sunny with a high near 79 degrees and an 8% daytime precipitation chance. A slight chance of showers returns after 7 p.m. Tuesday, with precipitation probability increasing to 20%. By Wednesday, Nov. 4, the forecast introduces another chance of rain showers, partly sunny conditions and a high near 78 degrees.

## How we did this Columbus Times used the National Weather Service point and hourly forecasts for Columbus, Georgia, including the forecast issued at 2:26 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, and retrieved that day. We also reviewed the National Weather Service Peachtree City forecast discussion issued at 7:47 p.m. Wednesday, the Atlanta point forecast for Saturday's game and U.S. Naval Observatory sunrise and sunset calculations for Columbus. Temperature differences and daylight comparisons are Columbus Times calculations using those published figures, and all forecasts reflect information available Oct. 28 rather than a newly verified Friday morning update.