You can tell it’s mid-summer in Georgia because of two things: it’s hot, and there are scattered afternoon storms nearly every day.
Saturday will not break that pattern as North Georgia hits 90 degrees ahead of a 40% chance of afternoon rain, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brad Nitz said.
“As you make your plans for your Saturday, keep this in mind: we’re going to be dry in the morning, but by midday, a few isolated showers are possible,” he said.
Nitz said most of western metro Atlanta should see some rain Saturday. In isolated patches, there will be downpours and frequent lightning, too, he said.
Four counties need to avoid rain if possible: Bartow, Cherokee, Gordon and Pickens. All four counties were under a flash flood warning until late Friday evening, and Pickens County saw about two inches of rain within a three-hour period, flooding some roads.
Unfortunately, the rain continued in northwest Georgia Saturday morning as Bartow, Polk and Paulding Counties got more than an inch of rain, said Channel 2 meteorologist Eboni Deon.
Parts of Cobb also saw some rainfall before 9 a.m.
“Be very careful as you make your way out and about in this area early today,” Deon said, adding North Georgia residents may continue “dodging and ducking” storms into the afternoon.
Folks with afternoon plans are advised to bring their rain gear along, just in case.
Those showers should dry up by Saturday evening, however, and Sunday will be a drier day for North Georgia. The most widespread rain should stay in Mississippi and Alabama, lowering Georgia’s rain chance to only 30%, Nitz said.
That’s good news for sports fans, who have a packed weekend.
The Braves host the Washington Nationals at 7:20 p.m. tonight and 7:08 p.m. Sunday at SunTrust Park. Cobb County drivers will likely see increased traffic near Cumberland on both evenings.
Atlanta United takes on D.C. United at 4 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The volume of MARTA riders and traffic downtown are expected to increase before and after the match.
Roadwork will definitely affect drivers today, since the Georgia Department of Transportation has several projects in place. In Sandy Springs, a right lane of Mt. Vernon Road will be blocked in both directions near Ga. 400 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Two right lanes of I-20 West will be blocked by roadwork from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Downtown Connector, GDOT said. On the Southside, a right lanes of Jonesboro Road will also be blocked from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at South Industrial Parkway.
In DeKalb County, the intersection of Ponce De Leon Avenue and Briarcliff Road will be blocked for sewer and water line repairs until 5 a.m. Monday, the county said in a tweet.
The rain chance should stagnate Monday, but Tuesday is looking like a rainy day with a 70% chance of precipitation, Nitz said. As the rain chance increases, the temperature is expected to drop due to the increased cloud cover. By mid-week, daily highs are expected to only hit the mid-80s.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
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