Keep that umbrella handy because heavy storms, frequent lightning and strong wind gusts are moving through North Georgia on Friday.
With a 70% chance of showers, it should be the wettest day of the week, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said.
“It’s already wet in a few spots this morning,” he said. “But none of the lightning we saw last night ... That’s going to come back later today.”
While the rain should be heaviest this afternoon and evening, pop-up thunderstorms could appear at any time today, according to the latest forecast. For those who need to get outside, the biggest lull in the storms will likely come between 10 a.m. and noon.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
“There’s going to be some wet pavement out there, certainly some puddles on the roads. Watch out for that this morning,” Monahan said. “The showers and storms increase this afternoon.”
The good news, he said, is that the weekend should be much drier than today. While some rain is expected on Saturday, the showers won’t be nearly as widespread. Things turn around on Sunday and Monday as the sunshine returns and the chance of rain drops to just 20%.
“By Sunday, I think we’re going to be looking pretty good,” Monahan said. “Much drier air is going to move in, which means higher temperatures for Sunday, but I really think we’re going to cut our rain chances down for the second half of the weekend.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
While Atlanta’s interstates were relatively clear as of 6 a.m., that won’t be the case all weekend, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
If possible, drivers should avoid taking I-85 South into Midtown on Saturday and Sunday as construction is expected to block three lanes of the interstate.
“Pretty much all weekend long, crews are gonna be out on 85 South between Ga. 400 and the Brookwood merge with I-75,” WSB traffic reporter Mark Arum said. “They’ve been doing that the last couple of weekends and it’s been causing big delays heading between North Druid Hills and Midtown.”
Weather permitting, Georgia Department of Transportation crews are also expected to continue work at the 17th Street exits from the Downtown Connector. That means drivers heading into Midtown this weekend may want to give themselves some extra time.
» 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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