The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for much of North Georgia as rain continues to come down Tuesday.
Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said the heaviest downpours remain on the Southside, which has already seen up to 2 inches of accumulation Tuesday. If you aren’t seeing the rain now, you will before the day is up, he said.
“It’s going to be wet off and on through the day,” Monahan said. “Some scattered downpours are in your Tuesday forecast. Have that rain gear handy throughout the day.”
It has been an incredibly wet February, he said. So far, Atlanta has recorded 6 inches of rainfall, which is more than 3 inches above average at this point in the month, according to Channel 2.
“We’re going to throw more rain on top of it,” Monahan said.
There just isn’t much in the way of sunshine between today and Thursday, he said. Another 1 to 2 inches of rain are possible across metro Atlanta by the end of the day, and more rain is coming Wednesday and Thursday.
By Thursday, areas east of metro Atlanta could accumulate an additional 2 to 3 inches of rainfall, according to Channel 2. The flash flood watch is in effect through Wednesday afternoon.
All of metro Atlanta and areas south are included in the watch area.
Metro Atlanta may be wetter, but it is also warmer than in recent days. Tuesday started in the low 50s and is expected to top out at 65 degrees.
“The rain chances will diminish as we head toward midday, but still seeing the opportunity for some downpours,” Monahan said. “Around lunchtime, we'll be in the upper 50s. It’s going to be a warm day today in the mid-60s.”
The 90% rain chance Tuesday morning decreases to 40% for Wednesday, according to Channel 2. It goes back up to 80% for Thursday, however.
Monahan said the tricky thing Thursday is there is some cold air moving into Georgia in conjunction with the rain. That could create the conditions for some wintry mix, he said, especially in the mountains.
While the wet snow could dip down into the Northside by late Thursday afternoon, he said it will likely be just a cold rain around most of metro Atlanta.
Things clear out and cool down by Friday with morning lows in the 30s and a projected afternoon high of 48 degrees, according to the latest forecast.
Roads remain wet across metro Atlanta, but some areas are seeing clearing at midday. As a result, traffic troubles are subsiding, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
There are no major delays on the metro Atlanta interstate system headed into the afternoon. With any luck, the evening drive will not see a repeat of Tuesday morning’s messes.
The next round of heavy rain Tuesday should miss the commute entirely, according to Channel 2. A line of storms is expected as a cold front moves late Tuesday night.
» 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.
» Download The Atlanta Journal-Constitution app for weather alerts on-the-go.
About the Author
