WEATHER-TRAFFIC: Atlanta hits 82 degrees as interstates struggle during evening commute

The Southside is slow Friday afternoon. So is the Northside.

Wrecks are beginning to litter all of metro Atlanta, meaning pretty much every interstate is backed up as the evening commute begins, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

Two right lanes of I-85 North are blocked at I-285 in south Fulton County due to a rollover crash, according to the Traffic Center. Delays are growing in both directions.

In DeKalb County, multiple left lanes of I-85 North near Pleasantdale Road are also blocked, the Traffic Center reported.

In Cherokee County, two left lanes of I-575 are blocked at Sixes Road because of a wreck, the Traffic Center reported.

In addition, two blocks of a major Midtown road are closed and will remain blocked all weekend. West Peachtree Street is shut down between Ponce de Leon Avenue and 4th Street due to construction. The blocks are not scheduled to reopen until Monday.

Friday has been a day to look up, and the same advice will hold true this evening.

A nearly full hunter’s moon set across North Georgia on Friday morning, making for a pretty display in the night sky. Get ready for an even better show at moonrise the next couple of days, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said.

“Not only is the moon going to look really big this weekend, it’s also going to have a little bit of an orange glow,” he said. “I want you to look to the eastern horizon at sunset.  The moon is going to be quite a sight.”

The setting sun will contribute to the moon’s color. Monahan said Saturday should be the best day to view the full hunter’s moon around sunset at 7 p.m.

RELATED: Glowing orange hunter's moon rising this weekend, ushering in fall

“As the moon comes up over the horizon, it’s going to be really low to the horizon, so it’s going to look much bigger than it is,” he said. “That’s what we call the moon illusion. Your mind compares it to objects on the ground — say buildings, trees, homes — and it looks much bigger.”

Not to be outdone, the sun has been out in full force Friday, according to Channel 2. There’s been lots of sunshine and not a raindrop in sight.

The day started out cool with 50s and low 60s across North Georgia, according to Channel 2. Atlanta has since hit 82 degrees, topping the predicted high by a degree.

Monahan said it will be a nice night for high school football. Temperatures should be in the mid-70s by 7 p.m. around kickoff time and dip into the 60s by 11 p.m.

“It looks great under the lights tonight,” he said.

The forecast is not so simple for the weekend.

“We've got this cold front coming in,” Monahan said. “This is going to spread some clouds our way by tonight. Tomorrow as that front moves across North Georgia, not a lot of moisture with it, but you're going to wake up to some cloud cover on Saturday morning.”

Saturday has a 20% chance of some isolated sprinkles with more clouds around, he said. A 40% chance of showers is in the forecast for Sunday as cooler air settles in behind the front.

A cooler, wetter pattern will last into next week, according to the latest forecast.

“Higher chances of rain are moving in,” Monahan said. “That’s great news for our drought, maybe not so great for your outdoor plans.”

RELATED: Coweta County implements water restrictions as drought deepens

A new drought monitor released Thursday by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division shows that nearly 30% of the state is in severe drought, up from 16% last week.

» 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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