ATLANTA FORECAST
Tuesday: High: 46
Tuesday night: Low: 40
Wednesday: High: 60
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
[8:16 p.m.]: All I-285 South lanes at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard have reopened after a crash blocked all lanes, backing up traffic near I-75, the Traffic Center reported.
UPDATE [7:15 p.m.]: A wreck on the Perimeter's Outer Loop at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard previously blocked all lanes, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation. The wreck is expected to be cleared by 8 p.m.
The WSB 24-hour Traffic Center reported that a right lane is blocked, but traffic is backed up nearly to I-75, because there's an additional crash on I-285 South near Paces Ferry Road that is blocking two left lanes.
ORIGINAL STORY: It may be two weeks away from the Super Bowl, but downtown Atlanta is already feeling the effects during Tuesday's evening commute.
Several surface streets from Mercedes-Benz Stadium to Centennial Olympic Park are shut down in advance of the NFL championship game, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
Baker Street is closed between Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Luckie Street. Mitchell Street is closed between the southbound lanes of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Elliot Street. On Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, the southbound lanes are closed between Northside Drive and Centennial Olympic Park Drive. And Mangum Street is closed between Markham Street and Foundry Street.
In addition to the road closures, two center lanes of the Downtown Connector near Peachtree Street are blocked by a crash, which isn’t helping matters, the Traffic Center reported.
In Gwinnett County, drivers will want to allow some extra time now that the Spout Springs Road bridge is closed, the Traffic Center reported. The bridge over I-85 is closed through the summer and is scheduled for demolition.
Also, a right lane of I-85 North is blocked by a crash just before Jimmy Carter Boulevard, according to the Traffic Center.
The thick, overcast clouds that built across North Georgia on Tuesday were the reason temperatures peaked in the mid-40s. They’re also the reason rain returns to the forecast Wednesday.
Wednesday should be warmer with a high of 60 degrees, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said. However, it will be wet with a 90 percent chance of rain.
Most of the region will get rain when the system settles in overnight, but Monahan said parts of northeast Georgia could see ice.
“With temperatures falling close to freezing by late tonight, we could have a little freezing mist and drizzle (in the mountains),” he said. “That could cause some slick patches, especially the bridges and overpasses to start the day tomorrow.”
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for several mountain counties ahead of the potential for up to a tenth-inch of ice. The advisory goes into effect at 7 p.m. for Lumpkin, Towns, Union and White counties and continues through 4 a.m. Wednesday.
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“Maybe into the north side of the metro, we could see a little bit of that (freezing precipitation), but in the city we're just looking at some drizzle and light rain showers,” Monahan said.
Things should warm up by late morning Wednesday so that all of North Georgia is looking at plain rain, he said.
“By Wednesday night, we’re going to have some heavy rain moving across North Georgia,” Monahan said. “We could have an inch or two of rain in spots.”
A 60 percent chance of rain holds over into Thursday morning before another shot of cold air moves in, according to the latest forecast. Morning lows are expected to dip below freezing again Friday.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
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