Stop me if you’ve heard this before. The weekend will be hot and muggy, with about a one in three chance of an afternoon shower or thunderstorm and a three in three chance of traffic-clogging road construction.
Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brad Nitz is predicting highs of 94 Friday and Saturday and 93 on Sunday, with lows in the low 70s. There’s a 30 percent chance of rain each day, Nitz said.
Thursday’s high of 94 was 6 degrees hotter than normal for August 17. So far this month, Atlanta’s afternoon readings have climbed into the 90s on all but two days.
Since June 1, Atlanta’s high has reached the 90s on 67 days and held in the 80s on only 12 days.
If the rain holds off, road construction will be blocking numerous interstate lanes around town, much as it has on weekends throughout the summer.
The four left lanes of I-75 northbound will be blocked from Forest Parkway to University Avenue, beginning at 9 p.m. Friday and continuing through 5 a.m. on Sunday. The I-75 ramps to and from C.W. Grant Parkway in both directions will also be closed all weekend.
On the southbound side, the three left lanes of I-75 will be closed from Pryor Street to I-285.
Also on I-75, two southbound lanes will be closed just north of the Brookwood Interchange, along with the HOV ramp from I-75 southbound to I-85.
Big delays are also expected on the top-end Perimeter through DeKalb County, where the three right lanes of I-285 eastbound will be shut down from Chamblee Dunwoody Road to Buford Highway, along with the eastbound ramp to Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.
Those I-75 lane closures could delay baseball fans headed to Turner Field for the weekend Braves series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and high school football fans bound for Saturday’s Corky Kell Classic at the Georgia Dome.
Other events that could cause downtown congestion include the Bronner Brothers International Hair Show, which is expected to draw a crowd of about 40,000 to the Georgia World Congress Center Saturday through Tuesday and an Atlanta Dream basketball game Friday night at Philips Arena.
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