TUESDAY’S WEATHER-TRAFFIC: Periods of heavy rain, severe storms possible

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Wet, storm weather moving through Georgia

North Georgia is entering an active weather period Tuesday as the first of two rounds of severe storms arrives this afternoon.

The greatest risk of severe weather is along a stalled front to the south and west of I-20, according to Channel 2 Action News. Strong wind gusts are possible, and there is a low risk of isolated tornadoes.

“By lunchtime, from Carrollton to LaGrange down to Upson County, that’s where we’re going to see that isolated spinning thunderstorm, one that could be capable of producing a brief spinup tornado,” Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said.

The rest of metro Atlanta should just see periods of heavy rain beginning Tuesday morning, he said. Rain has already fallen in spots overnight, making roads wet for the Tuesday morning drive.

There are also reports of fallen trees. In Midtown Atlanta, a tree fell on multiple vehicles at the corner of Elmwood and Monroe drives near Piedmont Park.

A tree fell on multiple vehicles on the corner of Elmwood and Monroe drives in northeast Atlanta.

Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

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Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

“As we go into your day on Wednesday, a more widespread severe weather risk is going to move into North Georgia,” Monahan said.

The second round of severe weather will threaten all of metro Atlanta with an elevated risk of tornadoes, according to Channel 2. A strong system arriving late Wednesday could make the Thursday morning commute tough.

“We need to be especially weather-aware on Thursday morning,” Monahan said.

In addition to the severe weather risk, Monahan said Thursday morning’s rainfall will be the heaviest of the week. By the end of the day, parts of the region could get up to 4 inches of rain, he said.

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Credit: Channel 2 Action News

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Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Tuesday morning’s downpours should not be as widespread, but they have the potential to make a mess of things on the roads. A crash on the Southside contributed to “extreme delays” on I-85, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

All northbound lanes were shut down before Ga. 54 in Troup County, contributing to 8 miles of backups, the Traffic Center reported. The lanes have since reopened, but drivers may still want to use U.S. 29 as an alternate until the delays clear.

» 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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