The sky may be gray, but a wave of showers over central Alabama still has a ways to go before dampening North Georgia’s evening.
The foreboding sky may represent the attitude of Henry County drivers, who have endured lengthy delays along I-75 all day Thursday.
Traffic was shut down at Hudson Bridge Road earlier to let emergency vehicles through after two officers were shot Thursday on Eagle Court in Stockbridge.
RELATED: 2 Henry County officers expected to survive; suspected gunman remains in home
While lanes have reopened, trouble remains in both directions. Northbound delays span back to Bill Gardner Parkway, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
Ga. 42 and U.S. 41 are good alternates to avoid the lingering backups.
Prior construction in neighboring Butts County didn’t help matters. A southbound I-75 lane near Ga. 36 was blocked, and delays linger in the area, the Traffic Center reported.
At least the weather is cooperating. Atlanta has broken 70 degrees at 4:30 p.m.
Allergy sufferers should be on alert as warm temperatures continue to drive up pollen levels. Thursday’s pollen count was 3,065, more than doubling Wednesday’s count of 1,501. Tree pollen is in the extremely high range.
“We are trending in a warmer direction,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said. “Tomorrow, we’ll be trending in a wetter direction.”
North Georgia will start to see some showers around sunset Thursday and some of that rain will be heavy overnight, according to the latest forecast.
“If you’ve got tickets to the Braves game, go right ahead,” Monahan said.
Conditions will be mostly dry when the team takes on the Chicago Cubs at 7:20 p.m. at SunTrust Park, he said. A 30 percent chance of rain at 8 p.m. increases to 40 percent by 10 p.m, according to Monahan.
There is, however, an 80 percent chance for heavier rain Friday morning.
That’ll make the morning commute wet, Monahan said.
“Early heads up for you,” he said. “Tomorrow's morning commute could be tough, with soggy weather moving through.”
The latest models indicate most areas will see rainfall amounts of less than one-half inch.
“By tomorrow afternoon, some drier air moves in to North Georgia and we’ll have only isolated showers across the area,” Monahan said. “Temperatures will bounce back into the low 70s.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
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