Heavy congestion continues in metro Atlanta; temps hover in low 70s

ATLANTA FORECAST

Friday: High: 71

Friday night: Low: 50

Saturday: High: 73

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

Temperatures have climbed from 51 degrees this morning to the low 70s, which is where they are supposed to hover this afternoon, giving Atlanta its first real taste of fall weather.

At the same time, roadways have become more crowded.

Road construction on I-285 South at Hollowell Parkway is causing some heavy Outer Loop delays for Cobb drivers, according to the Traffic Center.

Henry County is also still recovering from three I-75 South lanes being blocked near I-675, the Traffic Center reported. Delays still linger for miles.

After what has seemed like an endless summer, North Georgia woke up to some chilly fall temperatures Friday morning. Atlanta was about 15 degrees cooler before daybreak than it was Thursday.

“It’s about time,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Karen Minton said. “We’ve had summer lasting so long, so we can enjoy this. We’ll probably have some temperature variances over the next couple of weeks, going up and down, but no more 90s.”

It’s not just the temperatures that set Friday morning apart. Thursday saw the last of Tropical Storm Michael clear out of the state after dumping up to 6 inches of rain in metro Atlanta and leaving behind downed trees and power outages.

While cleanup continues Friday, at least it’s dry, less humid and much cooler for those working outside, Minton said. A cold front has come in behind the storm.

“There will be a few high clouds that will drift in later on, but it’s just going to be a beautiful day,” she said.

The cooler weather is expected to stick around for a while. The weekend should see highs in the 70s and morning lows in the 50s, with a little bump in the heat expected on Monday with a high of 81.

“It’s going to stay dry for you for early next week,” Minton said. “The first chance of showers returns Tuesday.”