WEATHER-TRAFFIC UPDATE: College football affects Midtown travel on hot, sunny afternoon
ATLANTA FORECAST
Saturday: High: 90
Saturday night: Low: 72
Sunday: High: 89
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
The holiday weekend has started busy as tens of thousands of people flood to Dragon Con, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and other Midtown events.
International Boulevard between Peachtree Center Avenue and Peachtree Street is closed for the Dragon Con Parade, which allowed costumed fans to fill the streets.
The @DragonCon Parade is in the books!
— Nelson Hicks (@NelsonHicksWSB) September 1, 2018
LOVED seeing the @ScoobyDoo characters! Check out Shaggy's face!
More parade photos: https://t.co/jzrSajMDuQ #DragonCon2018 pic.twitter.com/oTJdGSifjw
MORE: Dragon Con 2018: from Stranger Things to Y'allywood
Those wanting to take I-20 West in DeKalb County didn't have a fun afternoon though. A wreck involving two tractor-trailers previously shut down all westbound lanes, but it was cleared around 4 p.m., according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
RELATED: I-20 West reopens after 2 tractor-trailers wreck in DeKalb County
This niche little sport also returns Saturday — college football. The game between Georgia Tech and Alcorn State began at 12:30 p.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium. In Athens, UGA plays Austin Peay at 3:30 p.m. at Sanford Stadium.
Football season is upon us! I'm so excited! Georgia Tech's Yellow Jackets kick-off at 12:30pm. Plan for climbing temps and partly cloudy skies. pic.twitter.com/2GJo1ufHBN
— Katie Walls (@KatieWallsWSB) September 1, 2018
HOT with just a 20% storm chance in Athens this afternoon. Go DAWGS! #UGAFootball pic.twitter.com/jD4tQPHrsq
— Katie Walls (@KatieWallsWSB) September 1, 2018
The Chick-fil-A Kickoff game between Auburn and Washington will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 3:30 p.m. All those games should increase traffic nearby.
MORE: Here's a guide to five busy days in Georgia sports
👀🔜#CFAKickoff x #MBStadium pic.twitter.com/wL15iAoQLI
— MercedesBenzStadium (@MBStadium) September 1, 2018
SunTrust Park should also attract a crowd Saturday at 7:10 p.m. for the Braves game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Decatur Book Festival began Friday and the Pure Heat Community Festival is scheduled for Saturday in Piedmont Park to celebrate Black Pride. LudaDay Weekend — created by rapper-turned-humanitarian Ludacris — is also among the events scheduled for Labor Day weekend.
MORE: 430 authors to descend on Decatur for annual book fest
Visiting the @DBookFestival? Stop by the AJC booth to see @mluckovichajc (noon) and @SlaughterKarin (3:30 p.m.). More on the festival: https://t.co/6GPd9RiipF
— AJC (@ajc) September 1, 2018
The holiday weekend is off to a sunny and hot start, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Katie Walls said. Temperatures are currently in the mid 80s, but they should swell to a predicted high of 90 degrees this afternoon. Rain chances remain at a low 20 percent for the long weekend.
While the chance of rain affecting your Saturday and Labor Day plans are slim, heavy traffic most likely will hinder schedules. On Labor Day, Atlanta police are expecting crowds of 700,000 in the city alone.
RELATED: Atlanta police expect crowds of at least 700K people over Labor Day weekend
LABOR DAY WEEKEND: APD is urging @CityofAtlanta residents & visitors to be mindful of events happening this weekend! The city is hosting multiple major events including @DragonCon, Black Gay Pride, LudaDay Weekend, etc. More info: https://t.co/ErHgg9zH4e #Atlanta #WeLoveATL pic.twitter.com/02KHEZFVWI
— Atlanta Police Dept (@Atlanta_Police) August 30, 2018
However, those 700,000 people should be mostly dry as the chance of rain is a mere 20 percent Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Channel 2 Action News Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns said.
“We could see one or two isolated showers pop up,” Burns said. “But rain chances remain meager over the next five days.”
Labor Day weekend will bring high temps in the 80s and 90s with low temps in the 60s and 70s. There is also a chance for isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms each afternoon! Get the holiday forecast for your area at https://t.co/oZzn2g6Cux #gawx pic.twitter.com/0Qdrrc9QtJ
— NWS Atlanta (@NWSAtlanta) August 31, 2018
To accommodate the crowds, MARTA officials said the transit agency will enhance service from Saturday through Monday. Weekend rail and bus service will be provided all three days, adding extra trains and buses as needed. Both the Red and Gold lines will run to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport until the end of service, officials said.
Best weekend of the year! All wrapped around DragonCon, Football, and Festivals! MARTA will be running extra service on Saturday and no single tracking, yay! For details, visit our website at https://t.co/jvAAh7nte4
— MARTA (@MARTASERVICE) August 31, 2018
» For a closer look at the weekend outlook and things to do in your area: Atlanta | Cobb | DeKalb | Gwinnett | North Fulton

» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
» Download The Atlanta Journal-Constitution app for weather alerts on-the-go.


