FRIDAY’S WEATHER-TRAFFIC: Big warmup ahead after a chilly start

Here's Meteorologist Brad Nitz with your Friday forecast.

After a chilly start, Friday is poised to be a warm day with temperatures in the 70s, according to Channel 2 Action News.

The morning is starting off cool with temperatures in the 40s.

“As we head through the day, we’ve got a big warmup in store,” Channel 2 meteorologist Brad Nitz said.

Temperatures will climb quickly in the afternoon and will land at about 73 degrees in Atlanta. A little farther south, temps could be as high 78 degrees. The day will be mostly sunny, with no chance of rain in the forecast.

Allergy sufferers, who endured the second-highest pollen count recorded in the past 30 years earlier this week, are getting some relief. According to Atlanta Allergy and Asthma, which tracks pollen levels, Friday’s count is 983 particles per cubic meter of air, a significant drop from Sunday’s count of 8,918.

That'll make it a comfortable day to enjoy outdoor activities, where possible. Georgians are encouraged to limit their time exposed to other people in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

“Get outside today, even if it is just in your yard as we continue our efforts at social distancing,” Nitz said.

A shelter-in-place order signed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp goes into effect at 6 p.m. Friday as the state tries to fight the novel virus. The executive order encourages Georgians to stay home as much as possible, but doesn’t prohibit spending time outside.

RELATED: Kemp details Georgia's statewide shelter in place order 

That’s good news because the warm, dry trend is expected to continue through the weekend.

Nitz said it will be partly cloudy Saturday and Sunday.

Under the sunshine, metro Atlanta is expected to reach the upper 70s this weekend. Sunday’s projected high is 77 degrees, according to the latest forecast.

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With fewer drivers hitting the roads amid the pandemic, roads in metro Atlanta are quiet Friday. Conditions are expected to remain light throughout the typical Friday rush, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

» 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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