A stray shower is possible Thursday morning, but it’s heavier downpours and isolated thunderstorms arriving this evening that have the potential to wreak havoc on metro Atlanta roads.
The rain and storms are coming with a cold front slated to arrive in northwest Georgia around 3 or 4 p.m., according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan. The front won’t make its way into metro Atlanta until after sunset, he said, just in time to cause trouble for the evening commute.
Behind the front, crisp fall air will make its return.
“The 70s, the springtime weather we’ve had that is moving out,” Monahan said. “We’ve got some big changes moving into the forecast as we go through the weekend. That starts with some rain today.”
Monahan expects mainly dry conditions for the drive into work and school before rain chances start to climb. He said downpours will begin moving into metro Atlanta between 6 and 8 p.m., with wind gusts up to 45 mph possible. Severe weather is not in the forecast.
“There could be a little thunder and lighting mixed in as this system comes through,” Monahan said.
Ahead of the rain, Monahan said Atlanta will be mild Thursday with a high of 69 degrees. Temperatures are in the mid-50s before sunrise, a good 10 degrees above average for this time of year.
Drier, cooler weather will move in behind the front, he said. The city will wake up to lows in the 40s Friday, and temperatures are not expected to leave the 50s this weekend, according to the latest forecast.
A projected high of 54 degrees Saturday would be 10 degrees below average. With sunshine in the forecast, it should be a nice weekend for outdoor plans.
“Friday and Saturday we are looking dry,” Monahan said. “I didn’t say warm, but it is going to be dry.”
Credit: Channl 2 Action
Credit: Channl 2 Action
Multiple crashes have been reported as of 7 a.m. Thursday, but there are no longstanding interstate closures at the start of the morning drive, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
The biggest delays are on I-85 South in Gwinnett County, where a widely scattered crash at Beaver Ruin Road was blocking multiple center lanes. The Traffic Center suggests commuters take Buford Highway to get into Norcross.
» 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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