It is less frigid Friday than in recent mornings, but the warmth will come at a cost: rain.
A line of showers and storms is on its way to North Georgia on Friday, according to Channel 2 Action News. The rain is currently making its way east across Alabama and is expected to reach the state before lunchtime.
Once it arrives, Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said there could be some heavy downpours and rumbles of thunder through early Friday evening.
“No severe weather threat today, but there is going to be a lot of wet neighborhoods by 1 p.m. this afternoon,” he said.
All the extra cloud cover is making for a much warmer start. Metro Atlanta is in the mid-40s to begin the day, which is where temperatures topped out on Monday. Thursday’s morning low was a freezing 32 degrees.
By Friday afternoon, Monahan expects Atlanta will reach a high of 56 degrees.
An umbrella shouldn’t be needed this morning, he said, but it’s a good idea to have one handy at lunchtime and beyond. The rain will be heaviest at midday and will be clearing out around 4 p.m., although the roads will still be wet for the evening commute, according to Monahan.
“The afternoon commute will be wet in several spots,” he said. “We’re watching that rain move out by the weekend. Saturday and Sunday are cool and dry.”
Highs in the mid-50s are also in the forecast for the weekend, with lows in the 30s both days, according to the latest forecast. The next chance of rain arrives early next week.
The rain hasn’t even started Friday and metro Atlanta traffic is already a mess, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
A crash on I-85 North at Clairmont Road was blocking multiple lanes at 6 a.m. and causing bumper-to-bumper delays leaving Midtown, traffic reporter Mark Arum said.
“If ‘9 to 5 is how you survive,’ do not get on I-85 North leaving Midtown,” he said. “It’s a gridlock alert.”
Until the crash clears, Arum suggests commuters avoid the interstate and take Buford Highway or Briarcliff Road instead.
Later Friday morning, there could be delays as Vice President Mike Pence arrives in town. He is expected to land at Dobbins Air Force Reserve Base in Marietta at 11 a.m. before heading to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a coronavirus briefing.
Rolling roadblocks are expected, according to the Traffic Center. After the briefing, Pence is scheduled to campaign for Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Purdue in Savannah.
» 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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