There will be no heavy coat needed Wednesday as metro Atlanta will go from a mild start to a warm afternoon.
The city is in the mid-40s to start the day, and temperatures are headed for the mid-60s under a mix of clouds and sunshine, according to Channel 2 Action News. A projected high of 66 is nearly 10 degrees above average for this time of year.
Temperatures have been steadily climbing this week as North Georgia stays dry, but Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said big changes are in store Thursday.
“Today is going to be day number 12 without rain,” Monahan said. “We will not make it to 13, I don’t think. Tomorrow we are going to see rain and storms move into North Georgia.”
A cold front arriving Thursday will bring a chance for severe weather to parts of the region, he said. Ahead of the system, even warmer weather is in the forecast with a projected high of 72 degrees for Thursday afternoon.
Clouds will increase as the front approaches, and Monahan said that could trigger a few overnight showers Wednesday into Thursday. For the most part, Thursday’s daylight hours will be dry, he said.
Monahan does not expect showers and storms to really get going until after sunset.
“This will be gone by the time you wake up on Friday morning,” he said. “But after dark Thursday, let’s say through about midnight to 2 a.m. Friday morning, the chance for heavy rain, and the chance for strong storms.”
The National Weather Service considers the severe weather risk to be marginal for North Georgia. Monahan said heavy rain will be the primary impact, but there is also a moderate risk of damaging wind gusts and the possibility of a brief spin-up tornado.
“This is the time of year we need to stay weather aware as strong cold fronts move on into North Georgia,” he said.
On the other side of the front, North Georgia will turn drier and cooler Friday. Temperatures are only expected to reach the mid-50s to end the week, according to Channel 2.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
An early crash on the Southside has the potential to cause big problems at the start of the Wednesday morning commute. The fiery crash involves multiple vehicles and has the potential to shut down the I-285 outer loop, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
Multiple eastbound lanes are blocked east of I-75 as authorities respond to the wreck, the Traffic Center reported at 6:30 a.m.
“I expect all lanes probably to be blocked with this, so you need to avoid this already,” traffic reporter Mike Shields said. “Go ahead and use Forest Parkway, that runs parallel to I-285 in Clayton County.”
Commuters can also give the crash a wide berth and use I-20 as an alternate, he said.
» 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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