Thursday is starting out much warmer than recent mornings, but the higher temperatures come at a price.
Clouds and rain chances are increasing Thursday, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan. The air underneath the clouds is still dry, Monahan said, and most of the rain will struggle to meet the pavement.
“What happens is that rain falls from the clouds and it dries up before it reaches the ground,” he said. “For most of us, it will be a dry start to the day.”
Areas in northwest Georgia could see a few early sprinkles, he said. The really wet stuff is still to the west of the state and is not expected to arrive until later Thursday.
“Gradually, as the atmosphere starts to saturate, we're going to see that rain reach the ground,” Monahan said. “By the evening drive, (there) could be a few slower spots as we pick up a few more scattered showers.”
Plan on wet weather for any Thursday night plans, he said.
While the forecast may have you reaching for the rain gear, the heavy winter coat can take a day off. After two mornings in the teens and 20s, most of North Georgia is starting the day in the mid- to upper 30s.
By 8 a.m., Monahan expects Atlanta will be close to 40 degrees with only a few sprinkles around. Temperatures in the mid-40s are on the way at lunchtime, but some more isolated showers are forecast.
The projected high Thursday is 48 degrees in the city.
“We can handle that,” Monahan said.
West Georgia will see the best chances of rain through the afternoon, he said. The chance increases to 60% by late Thursday evening, when rain will start to fill in across all of North Georgia.
A half-inch to an inch of rain is possible by Friday morning, which carries a 90% chance of rain, according to Channel 2.
“It will be wet for the morning commute tomorrow,” Monahan said.
Friday will not be a total washout, however. He said the rain “will move out in time for your Friday evening plans.”
Friday will also be warmer with morning lows in the mid-40s and an afternoon high of 53 degrees, according to the latest forecast. Both weekend days should be dry but chilly with projected highs in the low 50s.
Metro Atlanta interstates are moving smoothly to start the Thursday morning rush. Volume is building, but there are no major delays, the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center reported at 6 a.m.
“Thursday morning can sometimes be a bear,” traffic reporter Ashley Frasca said. “That’s not the case yet, anyway.”
The heaviest volume is building on I-75 North through Clayton County, according to the Traffic Center. The first brake lights of the morning were spotted by the Traffic Center at Forest Parkway.
» 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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