WEATHER-TRAFFIC: Atlanta hits 90 degrees on first day of fall

It’s officially fall in Georgia, but don’t expect it to feel like it.

Atlanta hit 90 degrees Monday afternoon, which is about 10 degrees above average for this time of year, Channel 2 Action News reported.

At the same time, traffic has been building on I-85 and the Perimeter as the evening commute begins, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

In DeKalb County, a right lane of the Perimeter’s outer loop is blocked at Flat Shoals Parkway, according to the Traffic Center.

In Gwinnett County, three left lanes of I-85 North are blocked after a crash at Steve Reynolds Boulevard, the Traffic Center reported.

The Southside also has problems, including a vehicle fire on I-75 North that has two right lanes blocked at Jonesboro Road in Henry County, the Traffic Center reported.

In Buckhead, construction is affecting Peachtree Road and Collier Road, and it’s creating delays spanning into Midtown, the Traffic Center reported.

Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said there are fall temperatures out there — just not in North Georgia. High pressure is keeping summertime weather in place.

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High temperatures typically run in the low 80s at the start of the season. Atlanta topped out at 90, which is one degree warmer than predicted. The heat will only build as the week progress, according to Channel 2.

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“It is not going to feel like (fall) at all this afternoon or the next several afternoons,” Monahan said. “You need to plan on summertime heat, not so much summertime humidity.”

Lower humidity is making for some cooler mornings, he said. Monday started out in the 50s in the northeast Georgia mountains and 60s pretty much everywhere else. The rest of the week will see more of the same, according to the latest forecast.

The humidity should stay low through the day Monday, Monahan said, keeping much of the region dry. With a cold front moving in, the mountains could see some increasing clouds and a 10% chance of showers late Monday and early Tuesday morning.

Monahan said the rest of the state should enjoy a mostly sunny sky.

“By 8 p.m. tonight, you're going to notice some clouds increasing around metro Atlanta,” he said. “No chance of any rain in town.”

On the other side of the front, Monahan said Tuesday should again be clear and mostly dry with highs in the upper 80s. It’s not record heat, but “way higher than we should be,” he said.

Weekend highs could tie or break records.

“Very hot temperatures in the low to mid-90s as we move toward the end of the week,” he said. “The heat will only build into the first few days of fall.”

As the afternoon highs go up, rain chances stay pretty low this week at about 10% to 20%, according to Channel 2. The majority of the state is experiencing some form of drought, with some of the most severe conditions in metro Atlanta.

“We really could use the rain,” Monahan said. “I just don’t see much in the next seven days.”