TUESDAY’S WEATHER: Another dry day before arrival of heavy rain, storms

Big weather changes are coming for metro Atlanta over the next 24 hours that could make travel difficult.

A cold front that is expected to bring severe weather to parts of the Southeast will arrive overnight, resulting in heavy rain and the possibility of severe thunderstorms early Wednesday morning, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Jennifer Lopez.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

The rain should hold off until late Tuesday night. Ahead of it, Lopez is calling for “a beautiful afternoon” with a projected high of 67 degrees in the city.

“Temperatures right now are in the 30s and 40s — that’s going to change, though,” she said on Tuesday morning. “Later today, we’ll get up into the 60s. But all eyes are going to be to the west of us through the afternoon, this is where strong thunderstorms, severe thunderstorms are expected.”

The system of storms should weaken by the time it reaches North Georgia. According to Lopez, the primary local impacts will be heavy rain and the possibility of damaging wind gusts. She expects rain chances to increase beginning 9 p.m. Tuesday, and by 11 p.m. there could be “scattered showers all through Atlanta,” she said.

[9:15am 11/28] A line of showers and thunderstorms will affect the area Late Tuesday through Wednesday. A few storms may be strong to marginally severe with locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds.⛈️#rainydays #gawx pic.twitter.com/jVqOlUGJnD
— NWS Atlanta (@NWSAtlanta) November 28, 2022

Rain will continue through the overnight hours, and Lopez said by 5 a.m. Wednesday the front should be situated right across metro Atlanta. It could make for some particularly messy conditions for the Wednesday morning drive.

Thunderstorms are also possible, she said. The National Weather Service considers parts of North Georgia to be at a Level 1 risk of severe weather, the lowest risk level out of five.

Some areas could receive as many as 2 inches of rainfall by Wednesday night, according to the NWS. It could help relieve severe drought conditions in the metro Atlanta region.

More than 70% of the state of GA is experiencing abnormally dry conditions or worse, and more than 20% of the state is in a severe drought. 😵‍💫 A storm system moving through Tuesday to Wednesday looks to bring as much as 2" of rain to areas that need it most! 🤞 #gawx https://t.co/cmSlawdyTd pic.twitter.com/hp2XRTFpII
— NWS Atlanta (@NWSAtlanta) November 28, 2022