The sun will be out in full force Friday, but it might be more comfortable to spend the day inside with an artificial heat source.
It’s freezing in metro Atlanta on Friday morning, and temperatures won’t move much throughout the day. According to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan, a light breeze will make it feel even colder outside, more like the teens and 20s for much of the morning.
“It stays cold through the day, even though we have lots of sunshine,” Monahan said. “We’re only going to be in the upper 30s to about 40 degrees today. Just one of those days it looks pretty outside, but it’s also pretty cold.”
Atlanta is starting the morning at 29 degrees, the coldest weather since February of last year. Monahan is expecting wind chills to remain in the low 30s through the afternoon, even as air temperatures rise. The city’s projected high is just 39 degrees, which is 15 degrees below average for this time of year.
The cold rain that fell much of Thursday afternoon is long gone, but there could be some damp pavement left behind. Monahan said the breeze should have dried out most surfaces, but some roads could be slick Friday morning as pavement temperatures drop into the upper 20s and low 30s.
Several school districts in North Georgia are operating on two- and three-hour delays Friday because of the potential for slippery travel.
“Wherever it was damp from overnight, as temperatures drop below freezing, there could be a couple icy patches out there,” he said. “You get to those bridges, those overpasses, those will be the most likely spots to see a little bit of ice first thing this morning.”
He does not expect widespread icing. Frost on windshields is also possible.
Atlanta will only get one shot of frigid air before temperatures begin to rise this weekend, according to Channel 2. Saturday will start out cold with a projected low of 27, but the afternoon should see numbers in the upper 40s.
“As the weekend goes on, that cold part of the jet stream is going to lift away, and our air is going to come from the southwest,” Monahan said. “That is a warmer pattern. By Sunday, we’re going to be back up near 60 degrees.”
With the warmup, North Georgia will also get rain. Sunday’s forecast calls for a 90% chance of showers, according to Channel 2.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
No icy patches have been reported Friday morning on metro Atlanta interstates, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. Authorities in Canton have reported some patchy ice on Ga. 141 near I-575, and Cherokee County commuters should use caution.
An earlier crash was causing big delays at Spaghetti Junction, but alternates are no longer needed after lanes of I-85 North reopened about 6:45 a.m.
There could still be delays through the interchange as traffic recovers.
» 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.
» Download The Atlanta Journal-Constitution app for weather alerts on-the-go.
Credit: WSBTV Videos
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