After several days in the sunshine that felt more like the start of summer than of spring, North Georgia weather is getting back on track this week.
Seasonable temperatures and storms are in the forecast over the next few days, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan. Peak severe weather season is just getting started in North Georgia, and it will get rolling Monday with a chance for strong and severe storms this evening, he said.
“Last week, it was smooth sailing pretty much all the way through. This week, well, we’ve got some bumps in the road,” Monahan said. “We’re going to have some rain in the forecast. We’re also going to get a little bit of sunshine in too today before our storm chances move in.”
Storms have begin firing up in northwest Georgia at midday and are expected to reach metro Atlanta after about 4 or 5 p.m. Ahead of the rain, the city is expected to top out at 77 degrees, which is nearly 15 degrees above average.
Monday will be the last day in the 70s, according to Channel 2, as afternoon temperatures drop back into the 60s for the rest of the week.
At lunchtime, light to moderate showers were beginning to move into metro Atlanta, mostly along I-20. Winds were also picking up, gusting up to 30 mph in the city, Channel 2 meteorologist Eboni Deon said.
“Unfortunately, right in time for the evening drive, that’s when that line (of storms) will be moving through metro Atlanta and with that some heavy rainfall,” she said. “It could make it a little bit tough to see, and the winds are going to be picking up as well.”
According to the National Weather Service, the threat of severe weather is slight for most of metro Atlanta and areas to the north, and the threat is downgraded to marginal for areas south of the city.
“We are dealing with a Level 1 to a Level 2 risk across the area, meaning that we are going to be watching out for the threat of a brief spin-up tornado, along with the possibility of some strong, damaging wind gusts, and heavy downpours will be an issue,” Deon said. “The overall tornado threat does remain on the low side, but it’s not zero.”
The storms should clear out by about 7 p.m., according to Channel 2. While it will be quick, Deon said “it could get messy out there.”
Overnight, things turn much cooler. Monahan is calling for lows in the 40s and 50s Tuesday morning, at least 10 degrees below Monday’s mild start in the low 60s. Several rounds of rain are possible Tuesday afternoon and evening, he said.
More rain and seasonable temperatures are in the forecast each day for the rest of the week. By the weekend, temperatures might not leave the 40s.
“There’s a very good chance there are going to be neighborhoods that go from 80 degrees on Sunday, to 20s by the time we hit (next) Sunday morning,” Monahan said. “It is going to get very cold by the weekend, and in between we’ve got some storms to deal with.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
There are no major delays inside the Perimeter at midday, but conditions on the roads are expected to deteriorate this evening as the storms move through.
“If you’ve got somewhere to be after work today, leave some extra time, because you are likely going to run into some heavy delays,” Monahan said.
Heading into the afternoon, the biggest traffic delays are on the Southside, where authorities have been on the scene of a crash on I-75 South for several hours, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. Two right lanes are closed at Ga. 155 at 1:30 p.m., and the Traffic Center is advising motorists to take Ga. 42 to get into McDonough.
» 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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