North Georgia is turning up the dial on the heat Friday as temperatures get closer to 90 degrees for the first time this year.
Atlanta is expected to top out at 85 degrees Friday afternoon, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan. It will be even hotter Saturday, he said, before the region gets its first 90-degree day on Sunday.
“If you like sunshine, I’ve got a good weekend forecast for you,” Monahan said.
A strong area of high pressure is to thank for the building heat and dry conditions all week. The high will continue moving down the East Coast, Monahan said, drawing closer to North Georgia over the weekend and pushing temperatures to the upper 80s on Saturday and low 90s on Sunday.
Early next week, he said the high will become even stronger and have even greater pull on North Georgia’s weather. Atlanta could see some record-high temperatures by Tuesday with a projected high of 94, according to Channel 2.
“No rain in the forecast, it will be dry and were going to be up in the mid 90s,” Monahan said.
With higher air temperatures, pavement temperatures are expected to skyrocket. According to Channel 2, Friday’s high of 85 will mean temperatures of 130 degrees near the pavement. If the city hits 91 degrees on Sunday, pavement temperatures will reach 140.
It is a good idea to take walks later in the evening to avoid burning pets’ paws, Monahan said.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
While there are no weather impacts to travel Friday morning, the morning commute has seen its share of snags. Three interstate shutdowns have been reported before 6:30 a.m., according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
Delays are dissipating after earlier shutdowns on I-285 South in DeKalb County and I-85 North in Gwinnett County, the Traffic Center reported. But the latest incident on I-85 in Fairburn has all northbound lanes blocked before Ga. 138.
Authorities are responding to a truck fire, causing “major inbound delays” heading to Hartsfield Jackson-International Airport, according to the Traffic Center. Commuters can use U.S. 29 to get into Union City.
» 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.
» Download The Atlanta Journal-Constitution app for weather alerts on-the-go.
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