Crashes stymie Atlanta’s interstates on warm day

ATLANTA FORECAST

Wednesday: High: 93

Wednesday night: Low: 72

Thursday: High: 92

» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.

It’s a toasty 94 degrees in metro Atlanta, which is 13 degrees above average, Channel 2 Action News reported.

The record high in Atlanta for this date is 98.

Metro area drivers have to deal with the heat from their cars as wrecks have backed up most major interstates, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

In DeKalb County, two center lanes of I-20 East are blocked near Glenwood Avenue because of a wreck, the Traffic Center reported.

Also, a gas line break has shut down Collier Road between Chattahoochee Avenue and Defoor Hills Road, according to Atlanta police.

In Gwinnett County, all northbound lanes were briefly blocked on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard near Jimmy Carter Boulevard by a crash, the Traffic Center reported. Heavy delays spread back past I-285.

The congestion mirrors an ugly morning commute that featured a deadly crash that shut down all but one lane of I-85 North. It was moved to the side just before 10 a.m.

Regarding the temperature outside, if you were ready for fall weather, prepare to be disappointed.

“You may be done with summer,” Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said, “but it is not done with you.”

The good news is while it will be hot, it won’t be as humid. Minton said she’s looking for the dew points, the measure of moisture in the air, to come down to the mid-60s over the next couple of days, “taking the edge off a little.”

Only a few isolated showers were expected in the Georgia mountains Wednesday, according to Channel 2. Rain chances rise to 20 percent Friday and the weekend ahead of the first official day of fall Saturday.

“We’re still in the 90s on Friday as that ridge is still there,” Minton said. “It will start to weaken next week, and that will allow our rain chances to start to increase, but over the weekend it’s still fairly low.”