WEATHER-TRAFFIC: Crashes, officer-involved shootings congest streets

ATLANTA FORECAST

Tuesday: High: 66

Tuesday night: Low: 51

Wednesday: High: 70

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

Crashes are piling up around metro Atlanta as the temperature hovers in the mid-60s Tuesday afternoon.

A right lane of I-75 South near Hudson Bridge Road on the Southside is blocked by a crash, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

A wreck that blocked all lanes of I-85 North at Clairmont Road in DeKalb County has cleared, but heavy delays remain, according to the Traffic Center.

Two officer-involved shootings have also affected traffic in southwest Atlanta and Walton County, respectively. Three lanes of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at Whitehouse Drive are blocked after a suspect allegedly hit an Atlanta police officer with his car before being shot by police, AJC.com reported.

MORE: Atlanta officer suffers serious injuries after being hit by SUV

A man who was “dancing in the roadway” on Ga. 81 at Tara Commons Drive in Loganville also prompted an officer-involved shooting after allegedly pulling out a gun and firing a shot, the sheriff said. This incident is also affecting traffic.

MORE: Georgia deputy shoots man who pulls gun during chase, sheriff says

Cobb County traffic felt a different type of heat earlier today as a tractor-trailer hauling 40,000 pounds of frozen chicken caught fire on I-285. The crash occurred on I-285 South at South Cobb Drive and partially blocked the exit ramp until almost noon, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

North Georgia has enjoyed above-average temps the past few days, but any ideas of an early spring may be wishful thinking.

Winter temps return with a blast of arctic air for the first week of March, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said.

“It’s been a long time,” he said. “We haven’t been below freezing in Atlanta since the end of January, but our nice weather stretch is about to end.”

The average last date for a freeze is March 23. The earliest Atlanta left freezing temps behind was Feb. 5 in 1880, according to Channel 2. That’s clearly not happening this year, Monahan said.

“Much colder air is coming in and as it does, a chance for rain and storms for the weekend,” he said.

Wednesday will be warmer with a high near 70 degrees, according to Channel 2. Afternoon highs are forecast in the upper 60s for the rest of the week before North Georgia flips the switch.

Light showers are expected Wednesday before a 70 percent chance of rain Thursday, the highest for the week.

The big changes start this weekend, Monahan said, with showers across North Georgia to kick things off Friday.

“Saturday, that’s going to be the best day for your outdoor plans,” he said. “We've got a cold front coming in, but it’s going to be far enough to the west that we're going to have some clouds and there will be the chance for a few showers. But the heavier stuff, that’s going to wait for Sunday.”

Sunday has an increased chance for showers and storms, and temperatures should not get out of the 50s in the afternoon, according to the latest forecast.