Construction is causing many drivers headaches on both the Northside and Southside on Thursday afternoon, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
The heaviest delays are on the Eastside Perimeter through Fulton and Cobb counties, the Traffic Center reported. Construction is blocking a left lane on the outer loop past Paces Ferry Road, and backups span to Ga. 400.
In Henry County, a right lane of I-75 North is blocked at Bill Gardner Parkway, causing delays back to Ga. 16, according to the Traffic Center. Southbound delays are also lengthy.
Widespread light rain showers continue to move across Georgia, and more rain is expected Thursday, ushering in a big change in temperatures, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Just last week, Atlanta experienced record-breaking heat with highs in the mid-90s. But many spots won’t get out of the 70s Thursday, Channel 2 meteorologist Katie Walls said.
With the rain and cloud cover, Atlanta topped out at 77 degrees, well below the average high of 85 for this time of year. It’s currently 75 degrees in the city.
“On the plus side, we can take a break from the heat, but we will be dealing with rain showers,” Walls said.
Most of the rain is concentrated in west Georgia during the evening commute, according to Channel 2. However, scattered showers litter North Georgia, so rain will continue to come in spurts.
Thursday won’t be “an entire washout,” but Walls said even bigger downpours are forecast for the end of the week.
Walls said a low pressure system over the plains is driving toward the Southeast and will reinforce the flow of air coming from the southwest.
“Well, what’s toward our southwest? The Gulf,” she said. “Tropical moisture. That will continue to funnel in across the Southeast. This is why we are expecting rain to be likely, not just today but as we head into your Friday as well as your weekend.”
Starting Friday, chance of rain jumps to 80 percent and remains high through the start of next week. Below-average temperatures are likely to stick around, too.
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
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