ATLANTA — Heavy downpours moved through the Metro Atlanta region before sunrise, producing nearly an inch of rain in Douglas, Cobb, Cherokee and Fulton counties during the morning commute.

Unsettled weather will continue through the first half of the weekend for Metro Atlanta and North Georgia as a cold front approaches the region.

For the rest of today and Friday, scattered showers and storms will develop along the outflow boundary of other storms that develop to the west.

By Saturday, a cold front will move through the state of Georgia, producing widespread showers and storms that will roll through Metro Atlanta Saturday morning and again through Saturday evening.

Forecast rainfall totals may add up to 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rainfall through Saturday night.

May 2025 has just begun, but it is helpful to know that the average monthly rainfall in May for Metro Atlanta is 3.56 inches.

Watering the Spring and Summer Garden

While rain is in the forecast through this weekend, inevitably there will be areas that somehow miss out on the heaviest downpours.

If you need to water your garden, there are some helpful tips to keep in mind to maximize your plants’ hydration and minimize impacts due to overwatering.

I spoke with Ashley Frasca, host of Green and Growing on 95.5 WSB on the best watering practices here in Metro Atlanta. Ashley recommends providing an inch of water per week for your lawn and garden.

Q: What are some of the more common mistakes that Georgia growers make here in their gardens?

“A lot of times, we see a lot of disease. Whether it’s fungal or bacterial disease on plants -- a lot of that can be eliminated by proper watering techniques.”

“So not watering plants overhead -- whether you are thinking of a hanging basket, a bush, any kind of shrub that flowers -- watering at the base, that’s really where the water needs to go.”

“So you can knock off a lot of disease by proper watering techniques.”

“And also planting things too closely together -- that again is going to induce disease, and other issues. When the plants grow too closely together, there’s not enough space for the air movement, the air flow, for the plant to dry out, whether it’s from morning dew or from a rain shower.”

“So two of the most common mistakes, and easily fixable, too.”

Q: What is the best way to water from the side?

“You could do a watering can, or a watering hose, and sometimes -- for whatever reason you can’t get to the soil level, a lot of pots are able to wick up moisture. Every pot or container should have a drainage hole, so a lot of pots can wick up moisture with a tray underneath that has water in it - and it can wick it up through the bottom and up through the roots.”

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