North Georgia will trade rain for more rain on Monday as a tropical system moves out and a cold front rolls in.
Tropical Storm Claudette brought inches of rain to parts of the region over the weekend and continues to move east toward the Carolinas. The storm is leaving behind lots of tropical moisture, which will provide fuel for another round of downpours Monday afternoon when the next weather system arrives, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan.
“Right now were dry, but by this afternoon you will need the umbrella,” Monahan said Monday morning. “The next couple of days are going to get wet in the afternoons. There could be a couple of strong storms around.”
The morning is starting off dry but muggy with temperatures in the 70s, according to Channel 2. Rain should hold off until about lunchtime, when Monahan said the first showers will start to pop up. The projected high is 86 degrees in Atlanta.
“A few downpours here and there for us by noon, and then the storms are going to fill in as the afternoon goes on,” he said. “The evening commute could be a little wet.”
Rain will turn more widespread into the evening hours and stick around overnight, he said. While some showers could linger into Tuesday morning, Monahan said strong storms developing Tuesday afternoon will be the main concern.
Things could turn “a little strong and gusty” in the afternoon hours, he said. Two more days of rain will tack on another couple of inches to rainfall totals from the weekend, which amounted to nearly 4 inches in some spots, according to Channel 2.
Areas north of metro Atlanta, including Cherokee and Bartow counties, are under a flash flood watch through Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service.
“By Wednesday, we’re looking a lot better,” Monahan said. “Drier air is going to come in for the middle of the week. We should see pretty low chances of rain across North Georgia — just not yet.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
It may be dry for the Monday morning drive, but crashes have contributed to early delays, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
Authorities were still working the scene of a crash on I-285 East at Bouldercrest Road at 6:30 a.m. Two right lanes are closed, the Traffic Center reported.
To get around the delays, drivers can use I-20, where conditions are improving after an earlier crash was cleared.
All lanes of I-20 West have reopened after a crash at Boulevard. Delays remain getting into downtown Atlanta, the Traffic Center reported.
And on the Southside, roadwork has the ramp from Forest Parkway to I-75 North shut down all morning. Commuters should expect “a few extra brake taps” getting into Atlanta, 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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