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VALDOSTA — Autumn weather has arrived, and South Georgia can look forward to cooler temperatures and a bit of rain later in the week, according to forecasters.

Following a week in which Valdosta had highs in the upper 80s and low 90s, the city can look forward to highs in the 70s this week ahead of a rain system which will push temperatures even lower this weekend, said Federico Di Catarina, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Tallahassee, Florida, office.

“It is more seasonable,” said Paul Walker, a meteorologist with the private forecasting firm AccuWeather. 

Valdosta’s highs through Wednesday will be in the low to mid-70s, with overnight lows in the mid-50s, according to the weather service’s forecast. The average high for this time of year is normally 79 degrees, with normal lows around 55, Walker said. 

Thursday, temperatures will drive even lower as a low pressure system moves in, bringing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, Walker said. Resulting rainstorms will bring “several inches” of rain to the Southeast, he said.

Di Catarina said the Valdosta area can expect one to two inches of rain.

High temperatures for South Georgia should dip into the mid-60s from Thursday through the weekend, Walker said. “We’re expecting another significant cooldown after the storms move through,” he said.

Di Catarina said there was little chance of severe weather across the area this week, while Walker said some of the thunderstorms coming late in the week could be severe.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.