Friday is starting out in the rain, but clearing skies and falling temperatures are not too far off.
Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan expects showers will stick around during the morning drive but clear out by the afternoon, leaving North Georgia cloudy and cooler. Before sunrise Friday, Atlanta is warm in the low 60s.
“Do not dress the kids for these temperatures in the 60s,” Monahan said. “Think it is going to be this way later today? It’s not. We have a cold front coming through North Georgia today, and it is going to drop these temperatures.”
Temperatures are expected to fall throughout the morning, eventually reaching the low 50s Friday afternoon. Those numbers will fall further still overnight, and Atlanta could wake up to freezing weather Saturday morning, according to Channel 2.
It will be cool, but there should be plenty of sunshine to start the weekend, Monahan said. Once the rain clears Friday, don’t expect to see more than a few peeks of sunshine under all this cloud cover, he said.
He expects showers to taper off by about 10 a.m. and eventually clear from north to south. Areas on the Southside could see a few showers hold on through the afternoon, according to Monahan. A flood watch remains in effect for parts of North Georgia through 1 p.m. Friday.
Flood warnings have also been issued for the Etowah River in Canton, the Yellow River in Lithonia, and the Alcovy River in Gwinnett and Walton counties, where flooding is forecasted to begin Friday. Another half-inch to an inch of accumulation is possible by the end of the day, according to the National Weather Service.
“By the afternoon hours we’re going to be left with a lot of clouds,” Monahan said. “Evening plans tonight, still some clouds around, but there’s no rain. We’re going to dry things out for your Friday night.”
After a sunny day Saturday, Monahan is expecting more cloud cover Sunday. But it will still be “a nice finish to your weekend” with dry conditions and a projected high of 48 degrees, he said.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Before North Georgia gets to nice weather this weekend, it has to trudge through the rain Friday morning. The wet pavement could make travel difficult for the morning commute.
“Whether it’s raining or not in your neighborhood, we’ve had so much rain over the last 24 hours,” Monahan said. “Please plan on standing water on the roads this morning. Slow those speeds.”
Multiple wrecks have been reported before 7:30 a.m., including a multivehicle crash that has shut down the southbound lanes of the Downtown Connector, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. Traffic is being diverted off the interstate at the Langford Parkway exit, and delays are growing.
Until the crash clears, commuters can take I-285, Northside Drive or U.S. 41, the Traffic Center reported.
There is also the possibility of fallen trees or debris. In southeast Atlanta, a tree fell on a house on Eisenhower Road, crushing two cars in the driveway. No injures were reported.
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
In Midtown, construction continues to cause delays on Spring Street. A disabled crane is blocking the busy road between 14th and 12th streets, and traffic is being diverted onto Peachtree Street.
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
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