THURSDAY’S WEATHER-TRAFFIC: Highs in the 70s could set new records this week

Christmas is a few short weeks away, but there will be no Jack Frost nipping at your nose Thursday.

Atlanta is headed for a high of 73 degrees, more typical of early spring and a degree short of the record high set in 2018. With “nothing but sunshine” in the forecast, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said Thursday will be a beautiful day.

“Take a second to enjoy it,” he said. “We don’t usually get weather like this in the month of December.”

The day is off to a mild start with temperatures in the mid-40s inside the Perimeter. Monahan said the region will warm up quickly with few clouds to block out the sun. Even warmer weather is in Friday’s forecast, with a projected high of 75 degrees.

The record of 74 degrees was set in 2012.

“Our air is not coming from Canada,” Monahan said. “It’s not coming from that cold-weather direction, it’s coming off the Pacific Ocean. That means record-high temperatures possible, pushing for the mid-70s tomorrow.”

Despite the early sunsets, he said even the evenings will be mild in North Georgia for the next couple of days. He expects temperatures to settle back into the 60s before dropping into the upper 40s overnight.

It will get a little cooler Sunday, but Monahan said it will stay mainly dry through the weekend. Through the month of November, the region recorded below-average rainfall.

“In parts of North Georgia we are starting to get a little bit dry, especially around metro Atlanta, and we are not going to help that over the next few days,” he said. “It’s going to be dry, it’s going to be nice all the way through Sunday. Monday we’ve got rain moving in.”

Showers are 60% likely at the start of next week, according to the latest forecast.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News.

While there are no major interstate delays at the start of the Thursday morning commute, there are big delays growing in Dunwoody, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

A driver crashed into a utility pole on the Ashford Dunwoody Road bridge over I-285 and at times all lanes are shut down in both directions.

“This is a big-time problem here,” traffic reporter Mark McKay said.

Commuters can use Chamblee Dunwoody Road or Ga. 400 until the crash clears.

» 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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