WEATHER-TRAFFIC UPDATE: Atlanta reaches 92 degrees; roads remain congested

ATLANTA FORECAST

Friday High: 92

Friday night: Low: 71

Saturday: High: 91

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

As the temperature continues to ramp up, so does traffic.

Atlanta's interstates have gone from a rough afternoon to a rough evening commute as wrecks continue to pile up and slows things down, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

The worst area is I-75 in Bartow County, which had previously been shut down in both directions near Cassville White Road because of a multivehicle wreck. Only the shoulder is blocked now, but heavy delays remain.

Hall County is also facing lengthy backups because a wreck on I-985 North has all lanes blocked at Friendship Road, the Traffic Center reported.

Earlier downtown, a leaking valve at a cold storage facility caused an ammonia smell in the area of Boulevard and Mead Street, Atlanta Fire Sgt. Cortez Stafford told AJC.com. The leak was closed by a hazmat team. No injuries were reported, and evacuations were not necessary.

Construction on Peachtree Road and West Peachtree Street aren’t helping matters. A right northbound lane of Peachtree Road is closed between 26th Street and Peachtree Valley Road, and a left northbound lane of West Peachtree Road is closed between 17th Street and the Buford Highway Connector, the Traffic Center reported.

Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Karen Minton predicted Atlanta would hit 92 degrees, and the sun delivered. It’s currently 92, which is 16 degrees above average for this date.

Thursday’s high tied the record set in 1954.

MORE: Back to 91 degrees: It hasn't been this hot in October since ...

“The heat wave of 1954 peaked on this date, but we still have another day or so where we could have some really intense heat,” Minton said.

A ridge of high pressure has kept temperatures high all week, and Minton said that pressure is not going anywhere anytime soon.

“We still don’t have a front coming through,” she said. “That high pressure, that great big ridge sitting over us, is still strengthening somewhat, so it’s going to stay hot for the next several days.”

Most years, North Georgia is done with 90-degree temperatures by the second week of September.

“We are way beyond that,” Minton said.

If the hot streak goes much further, Atlanta could be up against another record. The latest 90-degree weather has stretched into October was Oct. 9 in 1941, according to Channel 2.

But Minton said it’s likely Saturday will be the last day to see highs in the 90s for the year.

Early next week, metro Atlanta is expected to see high temperatures fall back into the low 80s, but it still won’t feel like fall, according to Channel 2. Minton said some models suggest the possibility of morning lows in the 50s and afternoon highs in the 70s in the middle of October.

In the mountains, temperatures could dip into the 40s, she said.

Rain chances stay slim to none through the start of the weekend with a 20 percent chance returning Sunday, according to the latest forecast. The mountain counties could see an isolated shower or two Friday, Minton said.

With this stretch of heat and dry weather, drought conditions are creeping back into Georgia. Minton said the weather outlook over the next two weeks suggests the state should be wetter than average, which could help stave off drought.

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