A round of strong storms Friday is the only thing standing between North Georgia and a beautiful Memorial Day weekend, according to Channel 2 Action News.
It is dry to start the day, but Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan expects the storms to develop Friday afternoon in northwest Georgia and move into metro Atlanta between 6 and 9 p.m. While there is a risk of severe weather north and west of Atlanta, the storms will weaken by the time they reach the city, Monahan said.
The rain should be over and done by midnight, leaving nothing but sunshine and cooler temperatures for the weekend.
“Smooth sailing once we get to Saturday,” Monahan said. “Today, though, we have those storms to deal with a little later this afternoon, and a few of those could be strong and gusty.”
The rain chance goes up after about 1 p.m., he said. The severe weather risk for northwest Georgia is considered a Level 1, the lowest risk level out of 5. Thunder, lightning and heavy rain are the primary concerns, according to Channel 2.
Metro Atlanta is starting the day warm in the 70s. With high humidity in place, Monahan said temperatures will rise to the upper 80s but fall just short of 90 degrees in Atlanta. The city’s projected high is 87 degrees, slightly higher than average for this time of year.
The record high for this date was 94 degrees set in 1941 and tied in 2019, according to the National Weather Service.
Monahan said North Georgia will enjoy highs in the 70s this weekend, making the switch from the summertime heat and humidity to weather that is more typical of early fall. A projected high of 83 degrees on Memorial Day will still be nice for any barbeques or pool parties planned, he said.
“After about midnight shower and storm chances will be ending across North Georgia,” Monahan said. “Our cold front comes through, and that’s going to set us up for a nice weekend.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
While Memorial Day weekend weather should be nice, metro Atlanta traffic is anything but.
Multiple crashes have made a mess of things on I-85 leaving Midtown, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. All northbound lanes of I-85 are blocked before Ga. 400 while authorities respond to a serious crash.
An HOV lane was reopened just before 6:30 a.m., which should help to relieve some of the bumper-to-bumper traffic, the Traffic Center reported.
Conditions are worsened by another crash in the backup. Two northbound lanes on the Downtown Connector are blocked north of 10th Street after a pickup truck ended up on top of a passenger car, the Traffic Center reported.
Delays are now stretching back to the Grady Memorial Hospital curve, traffic reporter Mark Arum said at 6:30 a.m. At this point, drivers should avoid navigating the mess through the city and take I-285, 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.
» Download The Atlanta Journal-Constitution app for weather alerts on-the-go.
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