WEATHER-TRAFFIC: Slow spots linger as evening commute winds down

ATLANTA FORECAST

Thursday: High: 61

Thursday night: Low: 42

Friday: High: 65

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

As the evening commute wraps up, the sun is still shining in a partly cloudy sky after a breezy day in Atlanta.

It may be about 7 p.m., but traffic problems remain on the Perimeter, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

Multiple lanes of I-75 South at Northside Drive remain blocked after a car fire, the Traffic Center reported. The incident is affecting traffic on I-285 as well.

Near Memorial Drive, I-285 South is hampered by spilled dirt from a truck, which is affecting traffic back to I-85, the Traffic Center reported.

The busy intersection at Holcomb Bridge Road at Ga. 140 is jammed because of flashing traffic lights, making it a four-way stop, the Traffic Center reported.

It may have felt like spring outside Thursday, but don’t be too eager to pack away the winter gear, according to Channel 2.

There is still the possibility for a wintertime chill before North Georgia warms up for the season, meteorologist Brian Monahan said.

“We're not talking about any snow or anything like that in the forecast, but there are some cooler temperatures,” he said. “There will be some cooler times between now and the next couple of weeks, and then we pretty much are done with wintertime and winter jackets.”

Atlanta started the day on the warm side thanks to a cold front that brought a layer of clouds and a few sprinkles north of Atlanta during the morning drive. Atlanta reached the low 60s during the late afternoon.

What little rain fell Thursday morning is not likely to bring relief to allergy sufferers. Metro Atlanta was back to a triple-digit pollen count Thursday. There were 169 particles per cubic meter of air recorded over the past 24 hours.

By the weekend, Monahan said North Georgia will experience a warming trend. Afternoon highs are forecast in the 70s on Saturday and Sunday, and it should be dry, according to the latest forecast.