All this rain will eventually come to an end, but Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said not to expect much relief Tuesday.
“By the end of the week, we're finally going to see this rain start to shut down,” he said. “The next couple of days, settle in for some wet weather across North Georgia.”
After a night of downpours on the Northside, showers fell across parts of the area Tuesday morning. The northeast Georgia mountains and areas north of Atlanta bore the brunt of the heavy rain during the morning commute.
More rain is on the way for the afternoon and evening, and it’s headed for the Southside, according to Channel 2.
“There is a ton of standing water on the road,” he said. “There are a lot of back roads, a lot of rural roads that are under water, or rivers, creeks and streams that are getting high to the bridge level. For that reason, please be extra careful.”
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A flash flood watch remains in effect for much of North Georgia until Tuesday evening. Two to 3 inches of rain have fallen over the past 24 hours, and an additional inch can be expected, according to the National Weather Service.
Some areas can expect even higher accumulations.
“With saturated soils and very high stream flows already in place across the region, runoff from the additional rain will be enhanced, leading to a greater threat of flash flooding,” the Weather Service said in an alert.
Flooding could last for several days along some of the larger creeks and rivers.
The risk prompted several North Georgia school districts to call off classes. Schools were closed Tuesday for Bartow County, the city of Calhoun, the city of Dalton, Gilmer County, Gordon County, Habersham County, Pickens County, Whitfield County, the city of Trion, and Union County.
Several other districts operated on a two-hour delay, including Dawson and Fannin counties and Rome City Schools.
See a complete list of school closings and delays here.
After a midday break in the rain, Monahan said the next wave of showers and storms moves through Tuesday afternoon as a cold front sweeps the state.
A few of the storms could be on the gustier side, especially south of I-20, according to Channel 2. Isolated strong to severe storms are possible.
“Because it’s been so wet, that wind gust could bring down trees and power lines later today,” Monahan said.
The front will also bring a bit of a drier day Wednesday, although Monahan said there will not be much sunshine. Rain chances decrease from 90% Tuesday to 40% the next day, according to Channel 2.
Monahan said the rain doesn’t really start to clear until temperatures drop Friday. All this week, he said to expect afternoon highs in the mid- to upper 60s before slipping back into the upper 40s on Friday.
“Another wave of rain and storms and downpours (is) coming in Thursday morning before we track those cooler temps for the end of the week and the start of the weekend,” he said.
With a break in the deluge, metro Atlanta interstates are moving smoothly. There are no major incidents at midday Tuesday, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
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