Atlanta began the weekend with nonstop rain and thick fog. But the fog dissipated and the downpours are expected to wash away overnight, making way for clear skies Sunday.
Although there will be much better visibility, temperatures will fall closer to normal with a high of 56 degrees expected Sunday, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Jennifer Lopez.
“It’s going to feel like December tomorrow,” Lopez said Saturday. “Also getting colder on Monday with temperatures in the 30s and up into the lower 50s.”
Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico brought soggy conditions that bogged down much of Saturday, a day in which metro Atlanta enjoyed a high of 70. The rain lingered through the evening before tapering off overnight.
That’s when a cold front is expected to sweep in from the northwest foothills of Tennessee, bringing cooler and drier conditions.
“Overnight, that front moves through and gradually pushes a lot of that rain away from us. And we’re back to some sunshine as head closer towards 12 o’clock (Sunday) afternoon,” Lopez said.
Despite the cooler temps, Atlanta is still in the midst of an unseasonably warm month, according to Lopez. The warmest December ever for the area came in 2015 when the day’s average high was 57.6 degrees. So far this month, the average daily high has been 54.3.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
“Looking at the trend into Christmas, it looks like the temperatures will be above average,” Lopez said. “That has been the case for the past several weeks. The third warmest December on record.”
Highs are expected to remain in the mid- to high 50s throughout much of the week, before they eclipse 60 degrees Friday afternoon.
Sunday’s forecast bodes well for outdoor holiday festivities like the Lights of Joy display along Ben King Road in Kennesaw. Billed as the largest residential Christmas light display in the state, the show boasts over 85,000 lights and is free through Jan. 2.
On the road, drivers will have to battle more than the slick conditions. In Cobb County, the Georgia Department of Transportation is resurfacing lanes on Ga. 360 from New Macland Road to Windy Hill Road. It will cause lane closures at Ga. 360 and New Macland Road all weekend.
In Fulton, southbound lanes on I-85 will be closed at Cheshire Bridge Road for bridge rehabilitation. And overnight lane closures are expected this weekend on I-285 in DeKalb as the DOT continues a safety project between Chamblee Dunwoody and Snapfinger roads.
» 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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