WEATHER-TRAFFIC UPDATE: Atlanta hits — and surpasses — 90-degree mark for first time this year

Atlanta has hit 91 degrees, breaking the 90-degree mark for the first time in 2019.

Time to celebrate by cranking up your air conditioner, grabbing a cold drink and enjoying the sun through a partly cloudy sky.

However, those stuck in traffic on the Perimeter likely don’t care about the weather.

A crash was recently cleared from the right lanes of the outer loop near New Northside Drive in Fulton County, but delays span back to Ashford Dunwoody Road in DeKalb County, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

Also in DeKalb, a crash has been moved to the shoulder of I-20 West past Panola Road, but delays remain back to Evans Mill Road, the Traffic Center reported.

Cobb County also has some issues after a tractor-trailer stalled on the Perimeter’s outer loop at South Cobb Drive, blocking a left lane, according to the Traffic Center.

The projected high Wednesday was 91 degrees, which the city hit about 4 p.m., according to Channel 2 Action News.

“Today is not going to set records, but it’s going to be the hottest day of the year so far,” Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said. “We'll say that pretty much every day for the next few.”

North Georgia is staring down a heat wave that could bring record-breaking temps by the end of the week. The same area of high pressure building up the heat could also create problems for those with asthma, respiratory issues and other sensitive groups, Monahan said.

The air quality index was a moderate 70 Wednesday morning. Monahan said it is likely North Georgia will get its first Code Orange air quality alert of the year as early as Friday. During a Code Orange, air quality index values jump to the 101-150 range.

RELATED: Atlanta smog alerts: Understanding Code red, Code orange

“Right now we are not there,” Monahan said Wednesday morning. “We could get there later this week.”

Wednesday morning started out warm with lows in the mid-70s in town, about 5 degrees above Tuesday’s start.

Most of North Georgia will avoid the rain Wednesday, but some areas around Blairsville, Gainesville and Athens saw heavy storms around 4 p.m. The severe thunderstorms are moving out of the state and into South Carolina now.

The rain chance stays at a low 20 percent for Thursday, according to Channel 2. Metro Atlanta will have a better chance of seeing some isolated showers Thursday afternoon, Monahan said.

Then he said “the heat cranks up and the dry weather moves in. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, not a raindrop across North Georgia.”

On Saturday, metro Atlanta is forecast to reach 94 degrees. That’s 1 degree above the hottest May 25 on record in 1960, according to the National Weather Service. Sunday’s projected high of 95 is also 1 degree above the record high set in 1936.

» 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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