WEATHER-TRAFFIC UPDATE: Atlanta reaches near-record 84 degrees

ATLANTA FORECAST

Tuesday: High: 82

Tuesday night: Low: 62

Wednesday: High: 71

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

The Atlanta heat nearly tied a record this afternoon when temperatures reached 84 degrees, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brad Nitz said. The record high was 85 degrees set in 1941.

All the while, traffic has increased on metro Atlanta's interstates as the evening commute begins, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

Gwinnett County is faring better than this morning, but congestion is increasing. Around 10 a.m., a box truck overturned on I-85 South past Jimmy Carter Boulevard. The crash involved six other vehicles, according to the Georgia State Patrol. Two people were taken to a hospital. Their conditions have not been released.

Authorities at times blocked all southbound lanes, and northbound traffic in the HOT lanes was also impacted, the reported. The crash was cleared and the interstate reopened about 12:30 p.m.

In Fulton County, two southbound Downtown Connector lanes are blocked near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive because of a wreck, the Traffic Center reported.

Rain is moving into northwest Georgia this afternoon, and more showers are expected through the evening. Despite the showers, Atlanta is still way hotter than normal. The average high for this date is 73 degrees.

Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said the mountain counties will see the best chance of more widespread showers Tuesday. There’s a 60 percent chance of rain up north, he said, with a 40 percent chance for metro Atlanta.

The Southside should stay drier with a 20 percent chance of rain, according to Channel 2.

“The farther north you live of Atlanta, the better your chance of seeing showers today,” Monahan said.

Still, rainfall should be on the light side, he said, “a half-inch or less even in some spots that will see more widespread rain.”

The cloud cover is thanks to a cold front that made its way into the state Monday night, according to Channel 2. The front will continue to move south Tuesday, and Monahan said North Georgia will dry out as it moves farther away.