WEDNESDAY’S WEATHER-TRAFFIC: Soggy evening expected before Thanksgiving

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Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Wednesday is off to a relatively warm start in metro Atlanta, but rain is expected to move in this afternoon ahead of Thanksgiving Day.

After a frosty morning on Tuesday, this morning’s low is about 53 degrees in Atlanta, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said.

But a cold front to the west is expected to move through North Georgia this afternoon, and lingering showers could put a damper on some families’ Thanksgiving plans, according to the latest forecast.

A storm system that brought severe weather to Texas overnight should arrive later today, Monahan said. Those hitting the road early should be fine, but the chance of rain starts to pick up later today, he said.

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Credit: Channel 2 Action News

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Credit: Channel 2 Action News

While holiday travel is down this year amid the pandemic, there will still be plenty of people on the roads this afternoon.

“If you’ve got plans to leave after dark tonight, maybe you want to speed those up a little bit and leave a bit earlier,” Monahan suggested.

Temperatures in metro Atlanta are expected to reach the mid-60s by lunchtime ahead of the first round of isolated showers. Heavier rain rolls through ahead of the evening commute, and it should start to get pretty soggy by 5 or 6 p.m.

“If you’ve got travel plans on I-20 heading west, be weather aware,” Monahan said. “There’s going to be some heavy rain and storms you’re going to be driving through later on today.”

There’s a small chance of severe weather overnight as the intensity of those storms starts to pick up about 11 p.m., Monahan said. Strong winds and heavy rain is expected, but there’s also a slight possibility of a brief tornado, he said, particularly to the west and northwest.

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Credit: Channel 2 Action News

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Credit: Channel 2 Action News

While that rain should stick around through Thanksgiving morning, it is expected to clear out by Thursday afternoon.

“The good news is Thanksgiving Day looks pretty good in the afternoon,” Monahan said, adding he expects tomorrow’s temperature to reach 71 degrees in Atlanta.

Temperatures in the 70s and drying conditions are in the forecast for dinnertime Thursday after some morning showers, according to Channel 2 Action News.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

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Credit: Channel 2 Action News

While holiday travel will likely pick up later today, fewer people are heading into work this morning, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. As a result, there are no major delays reported on metro Atlanta’s interstates.

» 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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