North Georgia is getting a break from the rain Thursday, but the dry weather comes at a cost
It is cold out there. Temperatures are starting in the low 40s in Atlanta and are down in the 30s outside the Perimeter. Despite some peeks of sunshine, the city won’t get much of a warmup Thursday afternoon, topping out at about 59 degrees.
“Today should be dry,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Jennifer Lopez said. “Take advantage of it. Do something outside, because it’s all going to change as we move into Friday, and especially for Saturday.”
Lopez expects scattered showers as early at 7 a.m. Friday, and rain will stick around through Friday afternoon before tapering off that evening. A 70% chance of rain Friday becomes 90% Saturday, when thunderstorms and strong wind gusts are also possible, she said.
With the first round of rain Friday, Lopez is predicting about a quarter-inch to a half-inch of rainfall. A second system on Saturday has the potential for heavier rainfall, totaling up to an inch of accumulation by the end of the day, she said.
“Two days of rain, and the days that we see the rain are going to be the warmest days with highs up to near 70 degrees,” she said. “Those temperatures will cool off behind this system, with highs into the 50s.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Although there will be no raindrops to dodge Thursday, some commuters will deal with fog for the morning drive. The National Weather Service has issued a dense fog advisory for communities south of I-20 and east of Atlanta, from Gainesville to Athens.
Visibilities of less than a quarter-mile are possible, the Weather Service said. The advisory is scheduled to expire at 10 a.m., when Lopez said sunshine should help to burn off the fog.
As of 6:30 a.m., the fog is not creating any traffic problems on the Southside, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. There are no major delays in Henry and Clayton counties.
Volume is starting to increase on I-85 leaving Gwinnett County and heading to I-285, but there are no big delays there, either, the Traffic Center reported. The same is true for I-75 out of the northwest suburbs.
Traffic reporter Heather Catlin expects delays heading northbound on I-75 to begin this evening around 5 p.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.
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