A dense morning fog that delayed flights and created hazardous highway conditions gave way to record-breaking heat Monday afternoon, as a huge area of high pressure to the east of the metro Atlanta area pumped warm, humid air into the region.
"We hit 77, and that broke the mark of 76 set back in 1942," said Channel 2 Actions News meteorologist David Chandley.
The high pressure area will ensure overnight temperatures well above the average of 43 degrees with patchy dense fog again and another record within reach Tuesday.
“Breaks in the clouds Tuesday afternoon will yield highs in the mid 70s. The record high for Tuesday is 74 set in 1979,” Chandley said. The chance of rain and storms goes up after 7 p.m. Tuesday, he said, “with strong to severe storms possible 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.”
A cool front will move into the region, with highs Wednesday in the upper 60s.
The busy Thanksgiving travel period got off to a slow start early Monday, as dense fog that blanketed metro Atlanta delayed flights into and out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The fog lifted by late morning.
As for the forecast for Thursday night’s lighting of the Macy’s Great Tree at Lenox Square,“Thanksgiving looks sunny and nice, with lows in the mid 40s, highs in the mid 60s, and the same for Black Friday,” Chandley said.
Holiday travel is expected to be up 4 percent over last Thanksgiving, according to AAA, with more than 42.5 million Americans taking a trip of 50 miles or more away from home between Wednesday and Sunday.
The auto club is also predicting that the majority of those travelers – 38.2 million – will be traveling by car this year, also an increase of 4 percent over last year.
Statewide, AAA predicts that 1,090,383 Georgians will be traveling by car this week.
Motorists filling up their tanks in metro Atlanta for the trip to grandma’s, on average, will be paying about a half-dollar more per gallon than last Thanksgiving, but about 35 cents less than the last major holiday, Labor Day weekend.
Atlanta’s average price for a gallon of regular unleaded on Monday was $3.25 a gallon, according to atlantagasprices.com, a website that tracks the price we pay to fill up our tanks.
The cheapest prices reported by the website Monday afternoon were $3 at a Chevron at Ga. 138 and U.S. 23/Ga. 42 in Stockbridge; $3.07 at a Costco at 1700 Mount Zion Road in Morrow, and $3.08 at Pilot and TA stations at Cassville-White Road near I-75 in Cartersville.
Those traveling by air can expect big crowds at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
About 1.7 million travelers are expected to pass through the airport this week, with Wednesday and Sunday being the busiest air travel days.
On Wednesday, Hartsfield officials expect as many as 57,000 passengers, compared to 38,000 to 40,000 on a normal day.
All those air travelers will at least get a little musical bonus to soothe their nerves, as the airport is bringing back its Thanksgiving music series.
Travelers can enjoy live music from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in the atrium between the north and south terminals.
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