WEATHER-TRAFFIC UPDATE: Wrecks, construction slow drivers on sunny, dry afternoon

ATLANTA FORECAST

Friday: High: 54

Friday night: Low: 39

Saturday: High: 62

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

Sunshine has returned to North Georgia, meaning roads are dry and traffic should be a breeze — right?

Well, the first part is true at least.

The interstates aren't gridlocked by any means, but there are still plenty of problem spots around metro Atlanta during the evening commute, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

Only one right lane of I-85 North at Flat Shoals Road is open after a wreck involving up to nine vehicles, the Traffic Center reported.

Most interstates in metro Atlanta are moving slowly because of weekend and evening commute traffic, the Traffic Center reported. The worst delays are on the Downtown Connector, Northern Perimeter and I-75 North in Henry County.

In Coweta County, construction is also blocking two left lanes on I-85 North before Ga. 34. The Traffic Center suggests drivers take U.S. 29 to get around the backups.

Georgia’s neighbors to the north are dealing with lots of snow and ice, but metro Atlanta is done with the precipitation and is just cold.

North Georgia was under a freeze warning Friday morning. According to Channel 2 Action News, it was 32 degrees at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport from 6 to 8 a.m. for the official first freeze of fall.

In the mountains and northwest Georgia, temps dipped into the 20s.

However, temperatures warmed up quickly into the mid-50s under plenty of sunshine, but that’s still well below the average high for this time of year of 64 degrees, Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said.

Gene Tillman is bundled up in full winter gear as he sits at Five Points in downtown Atlanta on Friday morning. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

The rain that plagued central and North Georgia the past four days is gone, now that an area of low pressure has cleared the state. Some spots had not totally dried out Friday morning, Minton said, which made for potentially dangerous conditions on freezing roads during the morning commute.

No patches of black ice were reported, though there were some slick conditions in Cobb County before daybreak.

Atlanta roadways are dry Friday for the first time this week after four days of persistent rain. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

“Clouds are going to be scouring out as a wraparound low continues to move well away from us,” Minton said. “Then we're going to find temperatures during the day in the mid-50s, but starting to decline as we move toward evening and we lose that sunshine.”

Minton said more sunshine is on tap for the weekend, with afternoon highs in the 60s.