February is the time of year when the weather can be a bit of a tease, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said.
For at least this week, North Georgia will feel like spring with high temperatures in the low 60s, he said. It’s a pretty good bet that the region isn’t done with winter altogether, however.
Temperatures in the 30s Monday morning are more in line with typical wintertime lows this time of year.
“Today we get a cold start and we get a spring-like finish,” Monahan said. “Getting outside today looks, actually, pretty good.”
North Georgia will warm up nicely Monday with a mix of clouds and sunshine, he said. There should be no rain associated with the clouds as the region is expected to stay dry.
The rest of the week is looking wet, according to Channel 2.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Monahan said a 20% chance of rain Tuesday will likely just affect those on the Southside. The rain chance comes up to 40% Wednesday, but even then Monahan only expects about a tenth-inch of rain with some spotty showers across the region.
“Thursday and Friday, I want you to be ready for what’s going to be some really soggy weather coming in,” he said. “We’ve got a cold front, a slow moving one, moving in. It’s going to bring us a chance of storms, too.”
By the end of the week, some areas of North Georgia could get up to 4 inches of rainfall, according to the latest forecast.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
“Even though its going to rain, let me give a positive spin: It’s going to be a really warm week for us,” Monahan said.
Metro Atlanta is headed for a projected high of 59 degrees Monday, and highs should be in the low 60s for the rest of the week, he said. Temperatures are running about five to 10 degrees above average for this time of year.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
The weather may be looking up Monday, but conditions on metro Atlanta interstates are “quickly crumbling” for the morning rush, WSB traffic reporter Mark Arum said.
“We’ve got multiple issues in multiple jurisdictions,” he said.
All eastbound lanes of I-285 were shut down before Moreland Avenue for nearly six hours while authorities conducted a crash investigation, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. The lanes began slowly reopening about 6:40 a.m., but “extreme delays” remain.
Arum is advising commuters to avoid I-285 between I-75 and I-675 and use the Downtown Connector instead. Despite a few early snags and delays downtown, that route is still preferable to the mess on I-285, he said.
Even past Moreland Avenue, conditions on the Perimeter do not improve much. DeKalb County police are working a separate crash investigation on I-285 East that has multiple right lanes blocked at Lawrenceville Highway, the Traffic Center reported.
Arum said it’s best to avoid I-285 in DeKalb County altogether. Instead of getting back on the interstate at I-20, he suggests commuters take the Downtown Connector to I-85 North to get around “the bumper-to-bumper jam.”
» 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.
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