Nearly all of metro Atlanta got wet during the morning drive Tuesday, but the showers did not last long.
The fast-moving system continues to push off to the east at midmorning, making the way for what should be a nice afternoon, according to Channel 2 Action News.
The rain wasn't much, but it was enough to cause problems on the roadways, the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center reported. Traffic is still jammed through the northern suburbs at 9 a.m.
The rain also helped North Georgia get off to a warmer start.
“You don’t start in the 20s and 30s this morning,” Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said. “You start right around 50, so nice and mild.”
North Georgia is in the middle of a warm streak. December temperatures finished about 6 degrees above average, and January is maintaining that difference so far, according to Channel 2.
“That gap will get larger in the coming days,” Monahan said.
Now that the showers have subsided, Monahan said a breeze will move in and North Georgia will turn mostly sunny.
“That breeze is going to be kind of strong this afternoon, blowing in that drier air and a little bit of cooler air, too,” he said. “We finish off in the mid-50s for highs in most spots.”
While a projected high of 57 degrees in Atlanta is lower than Monday’s high, it is still above average for this time of year.
“What you dress for this morning is not what you're going to need to be prepared for this afternoon,” Monahan said. “This is one of those days it is going to be very different by the end of the day.”
Mild conditions continue through Thursday with highs in the low 60s and a low chance of rain, according to the latest forecast. Temperatures are going up near 70 degrees for Friday and the weekend, but the rain chances are climbing, too.
“Yes, it’s going to be warm, but we'll have showers and storms moving through,” Monahan said.
Some of those storms could be strong Saturday, which has a 70% chance of rain. Heavy rain and strong wind gusts are the primary concerns, he said.
Storms are 40% likely Sunday, according to Channel 2.
The worst delays remain in Cobb County on Tuesday morning. A wrecked Pepsi truck blocked lanes on I-285 South for several hours, impacting traffic through Smyrna and on I-75 and I-575, the Traffic Center reported.
The wreck at Paces Ferry Road cleared by 8 a.m., but traffic was “the worst it's been since early December on I-75 through Cobb County,” traffic reporter Ashley Frasca said. “All because of that truck.”
» 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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