There is still one week to go until the official start of summer, but metro Atlanta is getting a jump on the summertime heat.
Highs in the 90s are in the forecast all the way into Memorial Day weekend, according to Channel 2 Action News. Monday’s projected high of 91 degrees is just below the record of 95 set in 1996. The average high for this time of year is 83.
“A dry day for us for your Monday across North Georgia,” Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said. “By the afternoon, low 90s, a mix of clouds and sunshine.”
A Code Orange air quality alert has been issued for Monday. Certain sensitive groups like children and people with heart or lung disease should limit prolonged outdoor exertion during the late afternoon and early evening, as ozone concentrations could be at an unhealthy level.
Monahan said pets should also limit time outside in the afternoon. If it is hot for us, he said, it is even hotter for man’s best friend.
“The best time to walk the dog this time of year is the morning or evening time when the sun gets low on the horizon,” he said. “Because at 90 degrees, the sidewalk temperature is 125 and that asphalt temperature is 140.”
Tuesday could be even hotter with a projected high of 92 degrees. Monahan said cooler and wetter weather could move into the region in before Memorial Day next week.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Multiple metro Atlanta interstates have been blocked since the start of the Monday morning drive, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. The longest running shutdown is on I-20 in Newton County, where eastbound lanes have been closed since 3 a.m.
At least one person was evacuated in a helicopter from the scene of a crash at the Salem Road exit, the Traffic Center reported. Drivers are asked to avoid the area and take the I-20 access road or Flat Shoals Road into Conyers.
Rush hour traffic in the westbound lanes is not impacted, according to the Traffic Center.
» 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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