WEATHER-TRAFFIC UPDATE: Still messy across metro Atlanta, but at least it’s not freezing

ATLANTA FORECAST

Tuesday: High: 59

Tuesday night: Low: 39

Wednesday: High: 56

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

A busted crane, a school bus fire and several wrecks continue to stifle metro Atlanta traffic.

The ramp from I-285 North to Cascade Road is blocked by police activity, causing delays nearby, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

A school bus fire with no children on board also briefly shut down all southbound I-675 lanes in Clayton County near Ga. 42, the Traffic Center reported. All lanes have reopened, but delays linger.

MORE: School bus catches fire on I-675 in Clayton County; no children on board

Drivers who take Peachtree Road through Buckhead may also want to plan for extra travel time. A crane has blocked all northbound lanes at Pharr Road since last weekend, forcing northbound traffic onto the southbound lanes.

TRAFFIC ALERT: Broken-down, unauthorized crane makes a mess of Buckhead traffic

According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, it is not authorized to be there. To make matters worse, the crane is broken down. Until it’s fixed, GDOT spokeswoman Natalie Dale said the crane will just have to sit there.

Metro Atlanta was dry with plenty of sunshine Tuesday, according to Channel 2 Action News. Temperatures started out in the 30s and 40s across North Georgia and warmed to a high of 65 degrees. There is no rain in the forecast Tuesday.

“We're dry today and we're dry tomorrow, but clouds will be increasing as high pressure is shifting off the East Coast,” Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said. “That pulls in a southerly flow, brings in some moisture, clouds come up, and then we wake up with rain on Thursday.”

Once the rain moves in after midnight Thursday, it is expected to stick around for a couple of days. The Thursday morning commute could be a little sloppy at times, Minton said.

“In that 6, 7, 8 a.m. hour, rain is pulling through, and you are going to find it slow going on some of the roads,” she said.

Minton said metro Atlanta can expect a wet lunch break Thursday and scattered showers for the drive home that evening. Friday morning should see more of the same before the showers taper off around lunchtime.

“However, that low as it’s tracking away is going to have that counterclockwise rotation and pull cold air in here,” she said. “It depends on how much moisture is left. Some of these spots could see a little winter mix, or a little snow. Some flurries are certainly possible, especially in those higher elevations of North Georgia.”

It is possible the northern fringes of metro Atlanta could get a little winter precipitation, too, Minton said.

“There's nothing that’s going to be too active, so you'll be fine,” she said.