THURSDAY’S WEATHER-TRAFFIC: Highs in the 80s as humidity remains low

The heat will be cranked up across North Georgia on Thursday, but it will be a dry heat.

There is no rain in the forecast, and humidity levels remain low, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan.

“It’s going to feel great on a Thursday afternoon,” he said. “Temperatures will be near 90 degrees. A little hot, but the humidity is going to stay nice and comfortable.”

Temperatures are starting the day in the 50s and 60s across North Georgia. Monahan said the low humidity is making for ideal conditions for a morning walk or jog. The best time to get outside Thursday will be before 10 a.m., he said.

“After about 11 a.m. the sun angle gets high in the sky,” he said. “And even though the humidity is going to be low, that heat is going to crank up.”

The forecast high is 89 degrees in Atlanta, which is just a couple of degrees above average. Friday will get even hotter with highs in the low 90s, but Monahan said humidity will remain at bay through Friday afternoon.

North Georgia won’t make the jump back into muggy weather until the weekend, when tropical moisture returns and rain chances increase, he said. A 40% chance of rain is in the forecast for Saturday, but Monahan said Sunday will be the day to stay weather aware.

Showers and storms are 80% likely Sunday, which could amount to 3 to 4 inches of rain in some areas by the end of the day.

“Sunday is going to be a wet day, and that all has to do with with what is happening down in the tropics now,” Monahan said.

A tropical system developing in the Gulf of Mexico has the potential to become a tropical depression by the time it reaches the central Gulf Coast, he said. In North Georgia, it could produce heavy rain at times, he said.

“On this track, we could possibly see some strong and severe storms,” Monahan said.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

There are no major delays on metro Atlanta interstates Thursday morning, but an ongoing investigation has shut down surface streets in Cherokee County, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

The GBI is investigating a shooting that killed a Holly Springs police officer and a male suspect, the agency confirmed. Hickory Road is closed from New Light Road to Little Road while investigators are on scene.

» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.

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