Southeast Warm-Up Thursday and Beyond

This was the first white Christmas in more than 100 years in Atlanta. About afoot of snow fell in Norfolk, Va., and Florida agriculture received anotherfreezing blow. All of these will fade in people's memory as warming builds overthe Southeast from Thursday into the weekend.Thursday will start cold with freezing temperatures southward into southernGeorgia, northernmost Florida and eastern Alabama. Teens will be reached overstretches of snow-covered Virginia and North Carolina.

Then, as high pressure settles off to the east, southerly winds and partialsunshine bring a rebound in temperature with 50s in the Carolinas and northernGeorgia and 60s southward into northern Florida.

Most of the Florida Peninsula will record readings in the 70s.

Both daytime and nighttime temperatures will rise further on Friday andSaturday.

Through Saturday, virtually no rain will reach areas eastward from Atlanta andthe southern Appalachians.