WEATHER-TRAFFIC UPDATE: Atlanta just misses 70 degrees on springlike day

ATLANTA FORECAST

Wednesday: High: 73

Wednesday night: Low: 55

Thursday: High: 77

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

The cloudy sky kept Atlanta from cracking 70 degrees Wednesday, but temperatures are still hovering in the upper 60s.

Meanwhile, traffic remains pretty heavy around metro Atlanta, especially along I-20 and I-285 in DeKalb County, the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center reported.

A left lane of the outer loop past Flat Shoals Road was blocked in DeKalb because of a crash, the Traffic Center reported.

Two left lanes of I-20 West near Holmes Drive were blocked by another crash, causing delays back near the Downtown Connector, the Traffic Center reported.

Memorial Drive is still being affected by an officer-involved shooting that took place north of I-20, the Traffic Center reported. The road and I-20 exits to the road remain blocked.

MORE: 2 wounded in officer-involved shooting; Moreland Avenue in SE Atlanta shut down

North Georgia enjoyed another day of beautiful weather, but a system developing to the west will bring rain and a chance of storms into the forecast.

It’s currently 68 degrees.

Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said most spots will run about 15 degrees above average Thursday. A couple of spots could touch 80 degrees Thursday afternoon, he said.

Because it’s been so dry, pollen counts have increased in the past 24 hours. The count was in the high range Wednesday at 151 particles per cubic meter of air.

Rain will be moving into North Georgia on Thursday night, and Monahan said some thunderstorms are possible Friday morning. The rain chance jumps from 40 percent Thursday to 80 percent Friday, according to Channel 2.

“Friday morning's commute is going to be kind of wet and going to be kind of messy,” he said. “Could be a few storms, too.”

The severe weather risk will be mainly to the west of Georgia, Monahan said, but an isolated strong storm in west Georgia can’t be ruled out.

By Friday night, there could be as much as a half-inch of rain accumulation north of the I-85 corridor, he said. Higher amounts are possible in the North Georgia mountains.

That system should move out in time for the weekend, making this the first completely dry weekend since before the Super Bowl, according to Channel 2. Temperatures are forecast to run a little cooler with highs near 60.