Headed into downtown Atlanta for the Taylor Swift merchandise sale or Atlanta Hawks’ Game 6 playoff Thursday? Keep an umbrella handy.
While it won’t be a complete washout, rain is staying in the forecast for the next few days as a warm front comes up from the Gulf Coast, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan.
“The next couple of days are gonna be kind of cloudy and kind of gray,” he said.
Most of the heavy rain Thursday morning is staying north of metro Atlanta, but a few spotty showers may make their way closer to the city around lunchtime, Monahan said. It’ll stay mostly dry out until late afternoon, when a line of storms will push through from the south, which may make waiting outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium for Taylor Swift merch a wet enterprise.
Credit: John Spink
Credit: John Spink
Merchandise for Swift’s Eras Tour, which kicks off Friday for a three-night stop at the Benz, goes on sale at the International Plaza outside the stadium from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fans were allowed to start lining up at 6 a.m., and about 300 faithful are already encamped with their folding chairs and umbrellas before sunrise.
The Hawks’ game, played at nearby State Farm Arena, will tip off at 8:30 p.m. Their Tuesday win over the Boston Celtics forced Janet Jackson’s concert originally scheduled for Thursday to be moved to Friday at 7:45 p.m. for her Together Again Tour with opener Ludacris.
With all the added crowds, MARTA is encouraging those traveling downtown this weekend to use their service. The transit authority is planning to add trains to their regular schedule, install “load and go” teams at stations, and increase police presence to monitor crowds.
The rain should move out by Friday morning, but a cold front will be moving back into the area and bringing more off-and-on rain, Monahan said. Saturday will have the best chance for dry weather this weekend.
Temperatures will stay on the cool side Thursday, with a high in the upper 60s. It’ll be a bit warmer Friday, topping out in the high 70s. Saturday will warm up to a high of 80 degrees before another cool down to 70 degrees on Sunday when more showers and storms move in.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
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Credit: WSBTV Videos
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