WEATHER-TRAFFIC UPDATE: Showers still possible tonight in North Georgia; rain stays south for now

ATLANTA FORECAST 

Saturday: High: 90

Saturday night: Low: 72

Sunday: High: 88

» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.

Skies remain blue and partly cloudy this afternoon over North Georgia, but rain may be on the way by this evening, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Channel 2 meteorologist Katie Walls tweeted that an area of low pressure near the Florida panhandle is concentrating the storms further south than expected, which is why afternoon scattered showers didn’t ever form in metro Atlanta as expected.

Saturday’s chance of rain is 40 percent, but Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said any storms tonight should remain scattered and isolated.

“Downpours are likely, but the severe weather risk is pretty low,” Monahan said.

The late afternoon and early evening should consisted of quick, popup showers that shouldn’t rain too much on anyone’s parade.

Traffic is a different story, with lots of construction planned within the Perimeter by the Georgia Department of Transportation, especially in Cobb County.

A center lane is closed for construction on I-285 near Northside Drive, which the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center reports is causing some slowdowns on an otherwise fast-moving Perimeter.

I-285 South near Bolton Road will have two lanes closed from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, GDOT said.

I-75 North at Windy Hill Road also has three left lanes closed for construction, which is causing delays, according to the Traffic Center.

Ponce de Leon Avenue will also have one westbound lane closed the entire weekend for construction, according to GDOT.

Congestion should increase in Midtown around 7 p.m. this evening when the Atlanta United play Orlando City at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Braves are playing in St. Louis this weekend, which frees SunTrust Park up for a couple of big-name concerts. The Zac Brown Band performs Saturday at 6:30 p.m., so expect extra traffic nearby. For 80s rock fans, Def Leppard and Journey headline Sunday's show at 6 p.m.

Sunday’s weather forecast is more bleak, with a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms, which will more widely blanket North Georgia, Channel 2 Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns said.

What’s also bleak is the water conditions in the Chattahoochee River. While Burns said Saturday could be a good day to visit Lake Lanier or Lake Allatoona — as long as you keep an ear out for lightning — he doesn’t recommend going to the “Hooch” at all this weekend.

The water quality is at a high risk alert because of the past week’s rain, meaning the E. coli levels are unsafe.

» For a closer look at the weekend outlook and things to do in your area: