A cold front arriving Monday morning could bring heavy rain, storms and gusty wind to North Georgia.
The rain is needed, if a bit inconvenient, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Eboni Deon said. Monday’s rain could help to make up for a rainfall deficit after a dry November, followed by several dry days at the start of this month.
There is a 70% chance of rain, and it could be heavy at times, Deon said.
“The good news is it’s going to be moving through pretty quickly, so we don’t have to deal with any real flooding concerns,” she said. “But just getting out in it could be a bit messy.”
Deon said a passing light shower is possible during the morning drive, but the bulk of the rain activity won’t arrive until closer to lunchtime. Ahead of the cold front, increased cloud cover has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a dense fog advisory for counties south of metro Atlanta.
The advisory is in effect through 9 a.m.
“Visibilities are taking a little bit of a hit as you make your way out along the Southside,” Deon said. “For the most part we are in pretty good shape ,but do watch out from Athens outward down into Eatonton.”
Deon expects strong, gusty winds with any storms that develop along the front. Gusts up to 30 mph are possible, she said, especially on some of the higher mountain ridgetops. She expects the front to move quickly, from northwest to southeast.
“We’ll have some lingering showers through the early part of the evening, and then we are drying out and turning much cooler,” Deon said.
Temperatures are expected to plummet, from Monday’s projected high of 67 to lows in the 30s overnight. That will be a change from above average to below average in the course of 12 hours. While it will be cooler Tuesday, rain chances are low at 20%, according to Channel 2.
Deon said rain chances are ramping right back up for Wednesday, when steady rain is 80% likely during the morning drive. By Wednesday night, she expects metro Atlanta to record up to an inch of rainfall.
“It’s definitely going to be an active weather pattern over the next couple of days, with rain kind of off and on again,” she said.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
There are no major delays at the start of the Monday morning drive, but volume is starting to build at 6:30 a.m., according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
With more brake lights on I-20, the trip from Ga. 92 to I-285 was 18 minutes on the Westside. On the Eastside, the ride from Turner Hill Road to the Perimeter was just 11 minutes, the Traffic Center reported.
“As the volume increases, so does the trip time,” traffic reporter Mike Shields said.
The Traffic Center was reporting speed limit conditions on the Downtown Connector at 6:30 a.m.
» 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.
About the Author
