SATURDAY’S WEATHER-TRAFFIC: Clear skies, mild temps (and those groundhogs’ forecast)

Punxsutawney Phil was on center stage again as he made his annual prediction on Groundhog Day.

Punxsutawney Phil was on center stage again as he made his annual prediction on Groundhog Day.

ATLANTA FORECAST

Saturday High: 63

Saturday Low: 40

Sunday High: 60

Sunday Low: 45

For everyone in Atlanta running those last minute errands before Sunday’s big game, the weather will be in your favor. Channel 2-Action News Meteorologist, Eboni Deon says that after a week of freezing temperatures, Atlanta will warm up to the low 60s today and skies will be partly sunny for the better part of the day.

That means a nice warm Groundhog Day for metro Atlanta, with temperatures feeling a bit above normal, Deon said. Punxsutawney Phil, in Pennsylvania did not see his shadow during the 133rd Groundhog Day celebration in his namesake city, which means spring will arrive early this year.

However, our Georgia weather prognosticator, General Beauregard Lee, didn’t have the same forecast. From his home at Dauset Trails Nature Preserve in Butts County,  Lee saw his shadow shortly after sunrise, meaning that instead of an early spring, metro Atlanta will have to endure six more weeks of cold.

As for traffic, an early morning crash on I-285 south bound near the Ponce de Leon/Church Street exit that had all lanes blocked for hours just before 5 a.m., was cleared. Traffic had to be rerouted onto the right shoulder for a time while one left lane was cleared, according to WSB Radio.

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