ATLANTA FORECAST
Friday: High: 89
Friday night: Low: 75
Saturday: High: 84
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
[7:47 p.m.]: The severe thunderstorm warnings have expired for Coweta, Heard, Meriwether and Troup counties. No severe weather warnings or watches remain in Georgia, aside from a flood warning in Whitfield County that lasts until 10:15 p.m.
[7:27 p.m.]: The NWS has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Coweta, Heard, Meriwether and Troup counties until 7:45 p.m.
[7:03 p.m.]: The severe thunderstorm warning for Carroll County has expired, according to the NWS. Despite heavy rain continuing in a few spots, Channel 2 Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns said the worst of the storms have passed.
[6:39 p.m.]: Power outages have dropped to less than 4,000, Georgia Power said. Most are still concentrated in metro Atlanta because of the storms.
[6:29 p.m.]: Winds could reach 90 mph east of Carrollton as the result of a potential microburst, Channel 2 Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns tweeted.
[6:22 p.m.]: Carroll County is under a severe thunderstorm warning until 7 p.m., according to the NWS.
[6:20 p.m.]: Georgia Power is reporting that almost 6,000 customers are without power due to today's storms. Most of the 132 outages are within metro Atlanta.
[6:15 p.m.]: Atlanta Fire Rescue rescued a person stuck in their vehicle caught in flood waters on North Avenue at Central Park Place.
[6:12 p.m.]: Over the past 90 minutes, Atlanta got about a third of its typical average rainfall for July, Channel 2 Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns tweeted.
[6:05 p.m.]: The flooding on the Downtown Connector has now cleared and all lanes are open, but heavy delays remain.
[6 p.m.]: The heaviest rain is moving away from the Downtown Connector, which is still flooded, according to Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan.
[5:58 p.m.]: Channel 2 Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns said south Cobb County received 1.8 inches of rain in the past hour. Atlanta received 1.3 inches of rain and Decatur received 1.2 inches of rain, which Burns said contributed to the flooding on the Downtown Connector.
[5:51 p.m.]: The Downtown Connector is almost entirely flooded, according to video from the scene.
[5:46 p.m.]: The significant weather advisory has expired for Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb and Douglas counties. However, many roadways near Atlanta are flooded.
[5:45 p.m.]: Atlanta Fire Rescue tweeted that Northside Drive near Jett Street has two northbound lanes blocked due to flooding.
[5:29 p.m.]: The Downtown Connector near Freedom Parkway is experiencing flooding. The southbound exit lanes are also flooded.
[5:21 p.m.]: A significant weather advisory is in place for Cobb, Fulton, Douglas and DeKalb counties until 5:45 p.m., according to Channel 2 Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns.
[5:15 p.m.]: The severe thunderstorm warnings for Cobb, Fulton and Douglas counties have expired, according to the NWS.
[5:13 p.m.]: Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan tweeted that storms should increase in DeKalb, Clayton and Henry counties shortly.
[5:08 p.m.]: The WSB 24-hour Traffic Center reports that rain is causing heavy delays on I-285 in Cobb County. Make sure to use caution while driving during thunderstorms and heavy downpours.
[5:06 p.m.]: A house fire has been reported in Floyd County because of a lightning strike, according to Channel 2 Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns.
[4:57 p.m.]: Channel 2 Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns tweeted that Floyd, Fulton and Douglas counties are seeing lots of positive lightning strikes, which are more likely to spark attic fires. Floyd is not currently under a severe thunderstorm warning, according to the National Weather Service.
[4:42 p.m.]: The National Weather Service has issued severe thunderstorm warnings for Fulton, Cobb and Douglas counties until 5:15 p.m.
[4:35 p.m.]: Channel 2 Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns said there's lots of lightning just west of Atlanta and 1/2-inch hail is possible. This storm pattern is moving southwest at 10 mph.
[4:22 p.m.]: Rain has moved into many areas in North Georgia, and a few scattered spots in downtown Atlanta, as the evening commute begins, Channel 2 Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns confirmed.
[3:30 p.m.]: The severe thunderstorm warning in Hall County has expired. Channel 2 Action News predicts that storm coverage will increase as the afternoon progresses, which may affect the evening commute.
[3:20 p.m.]: All lanes have reopened on I-285 westbound near Ashford Dunwoody Road. Construction previously blocked three lanes, causing heavy backups. Delays are improving, according to the Traffic Center.
UPDATE [3:06 p.m.]: Hall County is under a severe thunderstorm warning until 3:30 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Channel 2 Action News Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns tweeted that one-inch hail has been detected in north Hall County.
ORIGINAL STORY: Storms have begun to build in far North Georgia and the north metro Atlanta area, Channel 2 Action News reported.
The storms are only supposed to get stronger and cover more of North Georgia as the afternoon progresses.
The good news is traffic conditions are mild at the moment, barring a few problem areas on the Perimeter and Downtown Connector, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
In Fulton County, construction on I-285 westbound near Ashford Dunwoody Road has three lanes blocked, causing heavy backups, according to the Traffic Center.
Earlier debris on the Downtown Connector at North Avenue has been cleared but leaves delays in its wake, the Traffic Center reported.
Otherwise, traffic is moving at interstate speeds around the Perimeter, according to the Traffic Center. Things could get more complicated for the start of the evening commute, when an approaching cold front could create the potential for severe weather.
“My advice: While you might not need an umbrella this morning, that will be a vastly different scenario as we head out later on this afternoon and evening,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Katie Walls said earlier. “Even this evening to night, there could be some plans dampened by rain showers pushing in.”
The cold front should force air upward, bringing pockets of heavy rainfall, frequent lightning, possibly damaging winds and even small hail into metro Atlanta, Walls said.
Walls said the coldest air will be too high to create the potential for large hail.
“I’m not worried about any large hail impacting you this afternoon or evening, but notice rain — that's going to be impacting the plans,” she said. “Heading out around 8 p.m.? Make sure you have that rain gear on hand.”
After a mostly dry morning, metro Atlanta’s rain chance doubles to 60 percent after lunch. Far North Georgia’s rain chance also rises to 80 percent later in the day.
The rainy weather will continue through Saturday with a 70 percent chance of on-and-off downpours. There is a 40 percent chance of scattered rain Sunday, according to Channel 2.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
The temperature should reach 89 degrees Friday before the storms block out the sun, and Saturday’s high drops to a moderate 84 degrees.
The “cold” part of the approaching cold front really won’t be noticeable until Sunday’s predicted high of 83 degrees. While that does not qualify as cold, it’s definitely cool for July in Georgia.
Channel 2 is tracking the progress of the first hurricane of the season. What was Tropical Storm Beryl was officially categorized as a low-level hurricane just before 5 a.m. Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Beryl is expected to weaken and dissipate over the eastern Carribbean with no threat of impact to the U.S., Walls said.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
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