North Georgia has felt like summer the past day or two, and Saturday will only continue that trend.
If it weren’t for the copious amounts of pollen, many Georgians would probably think it’s the middle of May or June — not the tail-end of March.
Today's pollen count is 6,881 pollen particles per cubic meter of air, up more than 1,000 from Friday's count, which was the highest of the year.
Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brad Nitz said there won’t be any rain to wash that pollen away either, allowing metro Atlanta’s heat streak to continue.
“We’ll be partly cloudy, but no rain is expected,” he said. “And temperatures will be back in the low 80s.”
Atlantans woke up to temperatures in the mid-60s, which was more than 15 degrees warmer than normal for this time of year. The afternoon high of 83 is also 15 degrees above seasonal norms.
“We are going to be dealing with some summertime warmth,” Channel 2 meteorologist Eboni Deon said. “The record high for today is 85 in the Atlanta area.”
With most of metro Atlanta under shelter in place policies and practicing social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic, construction crews will be one of the main "essential" groups outside Saturday. And they'll be working in droves, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.
MORE: Georgia road work continues amid coronavirus outbreak
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the ramp from I-20 West to I-285 North will be closed for roadwork, GDOT said. A right lane of I-20 West will also be blocked from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. near Moreland Avenue and Glenwood Avenue.
On I-75, a right northbound lane will be blocked near Deering Road from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., GDOT said.
There’s also a rash of roadwork on I-285, which will close southbound lanes at various times near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and I-75, according to GDOT. The I-285 North exit ramp to Camp Creek Parkway will also be blocked at several times throughout the weekend.
The weather pattern will shift Sunday morning thanks to a cold front that will make its way through Georgia.
“Along that cold front will be some isolated showers throughout the morning hours,” Nitz said. “In the afternoon, we’ll get some clouds, but we’ll dry out.”
Temperatures are expected to drop into the 70s, but a system of heavy rain and storms will change things further on Tuesday, Nitz said. The storms, which have a chance of becoming severe, will drop temperatures to the low 60s.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
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