WEATHER-TRAFFIC UPDATE: Construction, wrecks pile up downtown, along Northern Perimeter

ATLANTA FORECAST 

Thursday: High: 88

Thursday night: Low: 72

Friday: High: 90

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

Despite Atlanta staying dry and even the few showers in far North Georgia retreating, traffic has picked up across the metro area.

A wreck is blocking the center lane of I-85 South near I-285 in DeKalb County, the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center reported. Delays linger to Clairmont Road.

Drivers are experiencing delays on downtown surface streets as well. Construction on Northside Drive at Martin Luther King Jr. Drive is blocking one northbound lane, the Traffic Center reported. On Peachtree Road, crews are working in a northbound right lane at Deering Road.

Like clockwork, the Downtown Connector and Northern Perimeter are experiencing heavy evening commute traffic as of 5:15 p.m. (Photo: WSB 24-hour Traffic Center)

Construction on Ga. 400 North at I-285 is also causing delays on both interstates, according to the Traffic Center.

Metro Atlanta can expect to enjoy rain-free commutes through the end of the week, according to Channel 2 Action News. A surge of moisture is expected to raise rain chances in North Georgia in the coming days — it’s just not here yet.

Metro Atlanta should remain mostly dry while what’s left of Tropical Depression Gordon soaks our neighbors to the west. The moisture isn’t expected in North Georgia until later in the weekend when a cold front moves through, Channel 2 meteorologist Katie Walls said.

“The remnants of Gordon are going to be hooking up with this cold front, producing torrential amounts of rainfall across parts of the Midwest,” Walls said. “Eventually, I’m talking about late weekend into early next week, all of that moisture is going to be heading our direction.”

Thursday’s rain chances remain a low 20 percent, according to Channel 2.

Despite the cloud cover, temperatures remain high. Most of Metro Atlanta should see highs in the upper 80s Thursday, with many expected to hit 90 degrees Friday, Walls said.

Temperatures should drop a few degrees Sunday as moisture makes its way back into the state. By then, rain chances are back at 40 percent, according to the latest forecast from Channel 2.

“As we start to see some of that moisture from our west and from our north head our direction, slowly but surely we will be increasing our rain chances,” Walls said.

The Georgia Department of Transportation shouldn’t have major daytime construction projects Thursday, either.