ATLANTA FORECAST
Monday: High: 71
Monday night: Low: 50
Tuesday: High: 60
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
[8:32 p.m.]: Reports of hail in metro Atlanta have stopped as the wave of thunderstorms moves into Middle Georgia. A few severe thunderstorm warnings near Eatonton and LaGrange have expired, and no severe weather warnings remain in the state.
[7:13 p.m.]:
Hail has been reported inside the Perimeter. Brookhaven is seeing small pea-sized hail, according to Channel 2 Action News.
UPDATE [7:02 p.m.]: Hail has been reported across Cobb County. Channel 2 Action News has received photos and video of pea-sized hail in Acworth, Kennesaw and Marietta.
ORIGINAL STORY: Following some brief scattered showers, some sunshine has started peeking through the clouds. It might look less gloomy outside, but this might be the calm before the possible severe storms this evening.
The word calm doesn't apply to the roads, since the evening commute began amid the earlier scattered storms. Wrecks are affecting several interstates, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
Two left lanes of the Perimeter’s inner loop were blocked near South Cobb Drive after a crash, according to the Traffic Center. The wreck has moved to the right shoulder, but delays span to I-20.
In Cherokee County, a wreck on I-575 near Towne Lake Parkway is adding more than 20 minutes of delays for northbound drivers, the Traffic Center reported. The lanes reopened around 4:30 p.m., but backups span back to Chastain Road.
An oncoming cold front is expected to bring a line of storms, some severe, at the end of the evening commute, Channel 2 reported. Atlanta is in the upper 60s at 5 p.m., which will only provide fuel for the storms.
The rain is coming just in time to relieve allergy sufferers on Atlanta’s worst pollen day yet this year. The count Monday was 1,675 particles per cubic meter of air, which is considered extremely high.
“Rain is good because it helps wash some of that pollen out of the air,” Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said. “The storms we could do without, but that risk is coming later this afternoon and into tonight. I think it’s going to have a pretty big impact on your evening commute.”
There is a possibility of severe weather between 6 and 9 p.m. as the cold front makes its way through the state, according to Channel 2. Along with it, some strong storms, gusty winds up to 60 mph and large hail are possible.
“The tornado risk, fortunately, is very, very low with this system as it comes in,” Monahan said.
Just about all of North Georgia is considered at risk for severe weather, but there is now an increased risk of strong to severe weather for most of metro Atlanta.
“The evening commute — here is your early heads up — could be a little rough across North Georgia,” he said.
Monahan said the system should clear out Monday night, leaving behind some clouds and isolated showers Tuesday morning.
“It’s going to be a whole lot drier for your morning commute,” he said.
Once the showers dry up Tuesday, Monahan said North Georgia can expect beautiful weather for the rest of the work week. Temperatures should climb back into the 70s by the end of the week and there is no rain in the forecast through Saturday, according to Channel 2.
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