WEATHER-TRAFFIC UPDATE: Prepare for a near 20-degree drop tonight; wintry mix possible in mountains

ATLANTA FORECAST

Friday: High: 50

Friday night: Low: 36

Saturday: High: 43

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

After peaking at 54 degrees, Atlanta is beginning its dive toward the mid-30s tonight, prompting preparations to be made for the near-freezing temperatures.

Like the past two nights, the city of Atlanta opened an emergency warming center at the Old Adamsville Recreation Center at 3404 Delmar Lane in preparation for the frigid temperatures.

The Salvation Army of Metro Atlanta will also open a Red Shield Shelter at 469 Marietta Street tonight. Those seeking shelter are asked to call 404-486-2718 to ensure space is available.

If you’re still on the roads, you’re probably more focused on traffic than tonight’s chilly weather.

The Perimeter in DeKalb County was plagued by wrecks and tractor-trailer fires earlier, but those incidents have cleared, leaving only lingering delays, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

In Cobb County, a left lane of I-20 East near Riverside Parkway is blocked by a crash, according to the Traffic Center.

Delays exist downtown as well because of the AmericasMart gift and home convention. The convention, now in its fourth day, ended at 6 p.m. but will continue Saturday.

Thursday was the coldest day in North Georgia in nearly a month, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said, and Friday started even colder. Temps were in the low 30s in metro Atlanta and in the 20s in far North Georgia on Friday morning.

Morning commuters arrive in the cold and under a blue canopy at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Friday. At midnight, 1,800 LED lights on the airport's north canopy will turn blue and burn brightly to commemorate National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. The blue lights will symbolize Atlanta's commitment to stamping out sexual exploitation and other forms of human trafficking. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

North Georgia has a 70 percent chance of evening rain Saturday, according to Channel 2.

Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said some spots in the northeast Georgia mountains could see a brief wintry mix at times. A winter weather advisory was issued for Lumpkin, Towns, Union and White counties from 1 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday by the National Weather Service.

“It shouldn’t last for very long, should not be widespread,” Minton said. “There will be spots that could see it, but most of us are just going to have that very cold rain.”

Monahan said he does not anticipate any travel impacts.

The rain is expected to roll out Sunday after a 70 percent chance of showers in the morning, and sunshine is back for Monday and Tuesday, Minton said.

“We're popping back into the 50s by Tuesday of next week,” she said.

» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.