Showers and thunderstorms that moved into metro Atlanta before daybreak Wednesday were expected to taper off by late afternoon, but another round of wet weather is forecast for the weekend.
Wednesday morning's storms developed ahead of a cold front that was pushing southward through the state. At 9 a.m., the heaviest storms stretched from near West Point Lake eastward to just north of Macon.
The cold front was expected to reach the Columbus and Macon areas by mid-afternoon, with skies clearing behind the front. Until then, forecasters are expecting "brief heavy downpours and wind gusts to 40 mph with the stronger storms," the National Weather Service said.
In north Fulton County, authorities were working at 6 a.m. to clear a large tree that fell across Hopewell Road. The Weather Service reported that 1.57 inches of rain had fallen in Johns Creek between midnight and 9 a.m., while just over an inch was reported in Alpharetta and Dunwoody.
Thunderstorms on the south side were delaying incoming flights an average of 22 minutes at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport just after 7 a.m., but by 9:30, the storms had moved well south of the airport and delays had diminished to less than 15 minutes.
Another front expected to approach the state late Friday, then stall over Georgia on Saturday, could bring heavy rain and strong thunderstorms to metro Atlanta on Saturday afternoon, the Weather Service said.
The forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of rain through 2 p.m. Wednesday, with skies becoming mostly sunny late in the day. Highs will be in the mid-7os, followed by overnight lows in the mid-50s.
Thursday will be partly sunny, with highs in the low 80s and lows in the low 60s.
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms is predicted for Friday, increasing to 60 percent on Saturday. Highs will be in the mid-80s Friday and mid-70s on Saturday, with lows in the mid-60s.
Sunday will be mostly cloudy, with a 20 percent chance of rain and highs in the mid-70s.
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