WEATHER-TRAFFIC UPDATE: Northside slow as evening commute ramps up

Here's Meteorologist Brian Monahan with your forecast. He explains when we could see rain again.

The Northside is moving really slow Tuesday as the evening commute hits full steam, according to the  WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

The Perimeter is especially slow in DeKalb County, where a crash previously blocked all but one inner loop lane at Spaghetti Junction, the Traffic Center reported. The crash has been cleared, allowing all lanes to reopen, but delays remain heavy.

I-75 North in Cobb County is also backed up, but this is mostly due to an increase in volume during the evening commute home from work, according to the Traffic Center.

If you’re celebrating that metro Atlanta dropped out of the 90s, just wait for this weekend.

Afternoon highs are forecast in the low 80s on Saturday, according to Channel 2 Action News. Tuesday’s high is still a warm, if not hot, 89 degrees, but temperatures are expected to drop a few degrees each day through the week.

“It’s not going to get cold, but it is going to get cooler,” Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said.

The reason for the cooldown? Widespread rain to end the week.

“We really, really, really need some rain,” Monahan said. “We could do without the weekend timeline for it, but you know what? We'll take the rain any way we can get it. You know how droughts can get here in North Georgia.”

After a dry day on Monday, rain chances are going up slightly Tuesday. Monahan said most areas will stay dry and partly cloudy.

“But if you live out in Athens and Eatonton, or your travels will take you down toward lake country, that’s where you have the chance of a shower,” he said. “It’s really small at about 10 percent for that opportunity for a little rain this afternoon.”

The air is still fairly dry, and Monahan said it should feel comfortable outside. At 5:45 p.m., Atlanta is at 84 degrees.

Wednesday is when North Georgia will see the shift in the rain chances. Monahan said the day will start out dry, but some much-needed showers will begin developing by midday.

“Just about everybody will have a chance for a shower or storm coming up through the day on Wednesday,” he said. “Making the plans, maybe for summer camp, whatever the kids have going on midweek, plan on some showers, some downpours Wednesday afternoon.”

The showers will start to wind down into Wednesday evening, and Thursday will see a similar rain pattern, according to Channel 2.  Showers are 40 percent likely both days.

Then the weekend gets pretty wet, Monahan said.

“As this low comes through the middle part of the country, lots of showers and storms Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” he said. “Is it a total washout? It’s not, but more often than not we're tracking the downpours through the weekend, and cooler temperatures.”

North Georgia is forecast to slide back toward the mid-80s by Friday, according to Channel 2.

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