Fog shrouds morning commute

Fog shrouded Wednesday's morning commute, prompting a warning to motorists from the DOT and slowing arrivals at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Thick fog was reported on I-575 at U.S. 92 in Cherokee county and on I-75 on the southside, said the DOT's Paul Marshall. He advised motorists to use extra caution due to low visibility in some areas. Marshall reported an accident on I-75 southbound in Cobb County, south of Ga. Hwy. 5. Three left lanes of the interstate were blocked, creating delays of 45 minutes. The accident was cleared around 8:15.

At Hartsfield, the Federal Aviation Administration reported mid-morning delays of 15 to 30 minutes and growing for arriving flights.

Wednesday afternoon should see a repeat of the thunderstorms that plagued metro Atlanta Tuesday afternoon and evening, slowing  rush-hour traffic, stalling the Braves game and creating lightning strikes, like the one that started a fire on the roof and attic of a Suwanee home.

"[Wednesday] will be almost a repeat of today," National Weather Service meteorologist Trisha Palmer told the AJC Tuesday, noting that the weather system won't cover as much ground on Wednesday.

The home struck by lightning was reported just after 9 p.m. in the 4200 block of Goldfield Trace, after a neighbor heard a loud "boom" and called 9-1-1.

"Firefighters had to force entry inside the home to conduct a search and battle the blaze," Gwinnett County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Tommy Rutledge said.

No one was home at the time of the lightning strike, and there were no injuries. There was extensive damage to a portion of the roof and attic.

"We were fortunate that an alert neighbor was able to detect something wrong and discovered the house on fire," Rutledge said.

Forecaster Palmer said there could be chances of hail and wind gusts up to 40 mph.

"But we're not expecting much of that," she said.