After several weeks of mostly dry weather, the month of May is going out on a very wet note.
Rain is in the forecast every day this week, clearing out just in time for what should be a dry and sunny Memorial Day weekend, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan. The first round of showers and storms is moving into North Georgia as the Monday morning drive gets underway.
“It is wet out there and it’s gonna be wet through about midday today,” Monahan said. “Some widespread showers and storms, and then storms get a little more scattered by this afternoon.”
Monahan is calling Monday’s rain impact a 3 out of 3. The heaviest stuff is falling on the western suburbs before daybreak, and there is a possibility of standing water on the roads on either side of I-20, as well as south along I-85 headed toward LaGrange and Greenville, he said.
There is also a possibility of a strong or severe storm through about midmorning, according to Monahan.
“That rain is heavy right now at times, and it’s not going anywhere for the next few hours,” he said. “The chance for some heavy rain, and along with that some strong wind gusts and a little bit of hail. We’ll watch our for a chance of storms as we go through today.”
The storms produced a temporary ground stop for flights arriving to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Monday morning. As of 8 a.m., departing flights were experiencing 15 to 30 minute delays with gate holds and taxi delays in effect due to weather.
There is also a traffic management program in effect for traffic arriving to the airport. To see if you may be affected, select your departure airport and check “Delays by Destination”.
An area of low pressure is carving its way through the region Monday and is responsible for the shift in the weather pattern, he said. According to the latest forecast, that same system will send waves of rain across North Georgia and metro Atlanta through Friday.
Monahan said it won’t rain all the time, but rain chances will remain high over the next few days.
“Two to 4 inches of rain are possible across a lot of North Georgia by the time this whole system winds down, and that will be by Friday morning,” he said. “The weekend looks great. But until we get there, we’re going to be in the rain off and on.”
With the rain and clouds around, temperatures will be held back this week. Monday’s projected high is 79 degrees, a marked change from highs last week in the low 90s. Monahan is calling for highs in the 70s and low 80s all week, but mid-80s are in store for the holiday weekend.
The rain should let up in time to enjoy a few dry hours Monday afternoon, according to Monahan. He is expecting more scattered rain Tuesday and Wednesday, but widespread rain returns to the forecast Thursday with an 80% chance of showers and storms.
“It’s gonna be that kind of week,” he said.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
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Credit: WSBTV Videos
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