[8:35 p.m.]: The ground stop at the Atlanta airport was lifted. Rain remains on the Southside, but no severe thunderstorm warnings are active in metro Atlanta.
[8:02 p.m.]: A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Butts, Clayton, Coweta, Fayette, Henry and Spalding counties until 8:30 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
[7:57 p.m.]: Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has issued a ground stop for arriving flights due to the severe thunderstorms. Departures are also delayed up to an hour on average.
[7:38 p.m.]: The Marietta Fire Department is working to remove several fallen trees Monday evening, including a downed tree that fell on power lines along St. Teresa Terrace.
Credit: Allison Gruehn
Credit: Allison Gruehn
[7:37 p.m.]: A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Clayton, Coweta, Fayette, Henry, Meriwether, Pike and Spalding counties until 8 p.m., the National Weather Service said.
[7:36 p.m.]: The severe thunderstorm warnings for Clayton, Coweta, DeKalb, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry and Rockdale counties have expired, according to the National Weather Service.
The severe thunderstorm warnings for Coweta, Heard, Meriwether and Troup counties continue until 7:45 p.m.
[7:27 p.m.]: A large downed tree was reported in a Marietta neighborhood during the severe thunderstorms. The tree fell along Sessions Street near Church Street, which is close to the Marietta Square.
Credit: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
[7:10 p.m.]: A severe thunderstorm warning has been either extended or added for Clayton, Coweta, DeKalb, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry and Rockdale counties, according to the National Weather Service. The warning for DeKalb, Forsyth, Gwinnett and Hall will expire at 7:30 p.m., while the warning for the other counties will expire at 7:45 p.m.
There’s also another warning for Coweta, Heard, Meriwether and Troup counties until 7:45 p.m., the NWS said.
Prior severe thunderstorm warnings for Bartow, Carroll, Cherokee, Douglas, Haralson, Paulding and Pickens counties have expired.
[6:41 p.m.]: A severe thunderstorm warning for Cobb, DeKalb, Forsyth, north Fulton, Gwinnett and Hall counties has been issued until 7:30 p.m. by the National Weather Service.
[6:39 p.m.]: The severe thunderstorm warning for Coweta, Douglas and south Fulton counties has been extended until 7 p.m., while additional warnings for Clayton and Fayette counties were added until 7 p.m. by the Weather Service.
[6:30 p.m.]: Trees and power lines were reported down in Paulding County, according to Channel 2 Action News.
[6:16 p.m.]: Cherokee, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Paulding counties are under a severe thunderstorm warning until 6:45 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Carroll, Coweta, Douglas and Haralson counties were previously placed under the warning until 6:45 p.m. as well.
[6:09 p.m.]: A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Carroll, Coweta, Douglas and Haralson counties until 6:45 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
[6 p.m.]: The severe thunderstorm warning for Bartow, Cherokee and Pickens counties expired, according to the Weather Service.
UPDATE [5:47 p.m.]: A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Bartow, Cherokee and Pickens counties until 6 p.m. by the National Weather Service.
ORIGINAL STORY: The sky may be overcast, but the rain is holding off for now across metro Atlanta.
Despite pavement being dry as a result, a crash on the Northern Perimeter is slowing down DeKalb and Fulton counties, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. A wreck is blocking two left lanes of the outer loop past Hollowell Parkway, the Traffic Center reported.
A Cobb County crash on Barrett Parkway at I-75 is blocking lanes in both directions, and delays are quickly building, according to the Traffic Center.
The dry weather likely will not stick around long. Much of North Georgia is still cleaning up after the weekend’s storms, and more are on the way this afternoon, according to Channel 2 Action News.
A series of strong storms swept through the region over the weekend, toppling trees and taking out power lines. Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said Monday could see more of the same.
“Showers, storms, and some of those storms are going to be strong later on this afternoon,” he said. “The same drill we've had the past couple of days with that possibility for frequent lightning, heavy rain and gusty wind later today.”
The storms are still mostly in Alabama and Tennessee, but they should begin impacting west Georgia counties later in the afternoon. Metro Atlanta should see the downpours during the evening commute.
“In these downpours, a lot of lightning,” Monahan said. “We saw that yesterday, we'll see that again this afternoon, and the threat for some strong wind gusts. That will continue through the evening commute.”
All of North Georgia is at a Level 2 risk of scattered severe storms, which is considered slight, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Monahan said the chance of rain and storms is 60 percent in any given spot Monday afternoon.
North Georgia will get all the moisture it needs Monday to fuel those storms, Monahan said. Humidity will remain high throughout the day, but he said the tap will be turned off Monday night.
“Then that drier air starts to move in late tonight,” he said. “That will cut off our rain chances, and then by tomorrow we've got more sunshine in the forecast.”
Monahan said Tuesday will be the best day this week to get anything done outside.
“The rain chance is down as low as it can get, and then the storm chances come back up as we head through the weekend,” he said.
Most of North Georgia will make it to the upper 80s Monday, according to Channel 2. Atlanta reached the projected high of 88 degrees by 4 p.m.
While there is rain in the forecast each day this week but Tuesday, Monahan said Monday will see the most widespread rain and storms. Afternoon highs should remain about average in the upper 80s, according to the latest forecast.
“Storm chances start to inch up Thursday, Friday and into the weekend,” Monahan said.
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
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