WEATHER-TRAFFIC UPDATE: Overcast skies, few sprinkles as evening commute begins

ATLANTA FORECAST

Tuesday: High: 81

Tuesday night: Low: 71

Wednesday: High: 80

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

Despite the ominous overcast sky, only a few sprinkles are falling this afternoon in metro Atlanta.

But traffic is getting heavy as the evening commute begins, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

Construction on Peachtree Street isn’t helping matters. A right northbound lane is closed between 26th Street and Palisades Road, the Traffic Center reported.

In Henry County, all but the far left lane of I-75 North near Ga. 20 is blocked by a crash, causing heavy delays, according to the Traffic Center.

Georgia is feeling some early effects of Hurricane Michael with high humidity and 15-20-mph winds, according to Channel 2 Action News.

All eyes are on Michael as the hurricane bears down on the Florida Panhandle. The storm became a Category 3 hurricane Tuesday afternoon and is expected to make landfall Wednesday, bringing heavy rain, high winds and possible flooding into Georgia as it makes its track inland, according to the National Hurricane Center.

MORE: State of emergency declared for 92 Georgia counties ahead of Hurricane Michael

Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for 92 Georgia counties mostly south of Macon on Tuesday.

RELATED: What is a state of emergency? Georgia braces for Hurricane Michael

“For us today, we’re just looking at a lot of clouds,” Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said. “It will be breezy. There will be some scattered showers here and there, but that’s about all we'll be seeing for today, with temperatures holding a little cooler than we’ve seen.”

Atlanta has reached its projected high Tuesday of 81 degrees, which is about 5 degrees cooler than it was in North Georgia this time last week.

It was a long walk across the 17th Street bridge in Midtown as scattered showers and sprinkles came across metro Atlanta on Tuesday. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM 

Hurricane Michael is expected to bring lots of rain into Georgia on Wednesday when it passes through the state as a tropical storm. The NHC said the heaviest rain will be along the storm track to the south and east of Atlanta, with 3 to 6 inches of rain possible.

RELATED: The time to prepare for Hurricane Michael is right now

A flash flood watch has been issued for the southeast portion of the state, according to Channel 2.

RELATED: How dangerous is a hurricane? Understanding hurricane categories

Less rain is expected northwest of Atlanta, but it will still be plenty wet. The chance of rain increases from 30 percent Tuesday to 100 percent Wednesday and 90 percent Thursday.

The central and south portions of the state could also see high 40-60-mph winds. Wind gusts of nearly 40 mph were recorded near the Florida Panhandle at 11 a.m. Tuesday, according to Channel 2.

The National Hurricane Center has issued hurricane and tropical storm warnings and tropical storm watches for parts of South Georgia.

RELATED: Georgia DOT: Avoid interstates when evacuating for Hurricane Michael

As Michael heads out of the state Thursday, it is expected to take all the wet weather and humidity with it. Fall-like temperatures and sunshine are on tap for the weekend, Minton said.

“By Friday, it’s settling down,” Minton said. “And by Saturday, it’s gorgeous.”

» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.