FRIDAY’S WEATHER-TRAFFIC: Sunshine finally returns to the forecast as temps drop

Don’t be alarmed when you see that big ball of yellow in the sky Friday.

That’s the sun, a rare sight for North Georgia after all the wet weather from the past couple of days. Sunshine is finally back in the forecast Friday, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said.

“Once we get through the clouds, the last little showers now on the Southside, things are going to be looking much better this afternoon,” he said. “It’s going to stay chilly today, but we've got the benefit of sunshine.”

The last of the moisture from Thursday’s rain is squeezing out some wet snow with some of the light showers on the Southside. Monahan said pavement temperatures there are way above freezing, and there aren’t any concerns about ice on the roads.

All of metro Atlanta is starting the day above freezing, and the same goes for temperatures at the roads’ surface, according to Channel 2. Pavement temps start to dip farther north, however.

Monahan said black ice is a possibility for the morning drive in the northeast Georgia mountains, especially on secondary roads, bridges and overpasses.

Several school districts are closed Friday because of the concern for icy conditions. Schools in Rabun County, Polk County and the city of Rome called off classes, while Douglas, Fannin and Banks counties are operating on two-hour delay.

Kennesaw State University and all Chattahoochee Technical Colleges are opening at 10 a.m. Cobb County Schools canceled its Friday morning activities.

A full list of school closures and delays can be found here.

Monahan said it will stay chilly through the morning, with metro Atlanta finally breaking out of the 30s by lunchtime.

“It is cold, but it is dry and it is sunny for your Friday afternoon,” he said. “With that sunshine, we'll be back in the 40s for highs today, with 50s right around the corner. The weekend actually looks really good.”

After dropping into the 20s overnight, Saturday should again be mostly sunny with a projected high of 54, he said. By Saturday, metro Atlanta is looking at afternoon highs near 60 degrees.

Rain returns to the forecast next week, and Monahan said some of that rain could be heavy. Atlanta has recorded nearly 10 inches of rain since the start of February, more than 6 inches above average.

The Friday morning drive is starting off with a major jam through Cobb County after a propane truck jackknifed at the Cobb Cloverleaf.

The ramp from I-75 South to I-285 East was shut down for more than an hour while authorities worked to clear the wreck, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. It reopened just after 7 a.m.

The best alternate around the jam was unavailable to drivers for much of the cleanup and closure. The Georgia Department of Transportation closed the express lanes through Cherokee and Cobb counties out of concern for icy patches.

Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

Now that the tractor-trailer mess has cleared, the lanes are once again a good option to get around any lingering delays, according to the Traffic Center. GDOT reopened the system about 6:45 a.m.

Drivers can also take Cobb Parkway to avoid the interstate, the Traffic Center reported.

» 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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