Some areas of North Georgia are being cooled off with a few morning rain showers Friday.
The scattered showers extend from the northern suburbs into the northeast Georgia mountains and are headed for the South Carolina line, according to Channel 2 Action News. The heart of metro Atlanta is dry to start the day.
It will not be the last shot at rain for the day, Channel 2 meteorologist Katie Walls said. North Georgia has settled into a summertime pattern of heat, humidity and afternoon storms.
“We're heading into summer here in North Georgia, and you can really tell that based upon your morning lows,” Walls said. “They are starting off in the upper 60s and low 70s.”
Walls said higher temperatures in the morning are a good indicator of higher dew points, the measure of moisture in the air.
“That’s really going to exacerbate the heat as we head into the afternoon,” she said.
Atlanta’s projected high is 86 degrees, and areas south of the city are likely to get even hotter, according to Channel 2. The heat will help to fuel some afternoon storms, which are 40% likely Friday.
“Kick in that daytime heating, all of the moisture that we have, that high humidity, and we will be seeing those showers and storms fire up yet again,” Walls said.
As with any thunderstorms during the summer months, there is the possibility for strong wind gusts, lightning and heavy rain, she said.
More rain is in the forecast over the weekend, but North Georgia is likely to steer clear of any impacts from Cristobal. The storm is currently a tropical depression, but forecasters expect it will restrengthen to tropical storm status as it nears Louisiana on Sunday.
“This is mainly going to be a rain event for the Gulf Coast,” Walls said. “ As a matter of fact, the bulk of rain is going to stay along the Gulf Coast. We here will not be dealing with the rain from Cristobal through the weekend.”
Scattered rain showers and afternoon storms will generally accumulate to a half-inch of rainfall or less, she said.
Saturday’s rain chances are running at 30%, while Sunday looks to be pretty dry with a slight 10% chance of rain, according to Channel 2.
Traffic on the Downtown Connector is recovering quickly Friday after deadly wrong-way crash shut down the southbound lanes for nearly four hours, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
RELATED: Downtown Connector reopens after deadly wrong-way crash
An investigation cleared the interstate north of University Parkway about 6 a.m. All southbound lanes are now open, and there is no longer a need for alternates to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the Traffic Center reported.
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