Slow traffic continues on Northside, downtown as temps begin to drop

ATLANTA FORECAST

Wednesday: High: 56

Wednesday night: Low: 36

Thursday: High: 65

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

Northside and downtown traffic might be a little slow as the evening commute winds down, but it’s still infinitely better than Tuesday’s wave of thunderstorms and slippery roads.

An EF-0 tornado touched down in Clayton County on Tuesday afternoon near Forest Park and Lake City, the National Weather Service reported. Wind speeds peaked at 75 mph.

But on Wednesday afternoon, skies were clear and the sun was bright.

All southbound lanes of the Downtown Connector near 10th Street were blocked to relocate a crash around 6:15 p.m., and drivers are still enduring delays as a result, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

In Sandy Springs, West Belle Isle is closed between Roswell Road and Lake Forrest Drive because of a gas leak. Authorities are asking drivers to avoid the area until the leak is fixed.

Temperatures reached the mid-50s Wednesday but have dropped to the low 50s after the sun set.

At the start of the day, temps were running up to 25 degrees lower than on Tuesday morning, Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said. Temps started in the upper 30s in Atlanta, but it felt like it was freezing due to the wind chill, much more like winter than spring.

Temps are expected to jump another 10 degrees for Thursday afternoon, topping out in the mid-60s. Then the next 30 percent chance of rain builds in Friday, Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said.

If you have outdoor activities planned, get them done before the weekend, he said.

“The start of what’s going to be a real wet weather pattern moves in Saturday and Sunday,” Monahan said. “We're talking several inches of rain possible in the next six to 10 days.”

Some areas of North Georgia could have 2 to 3 inches of rain, with even higher amounts possible in the mountains, according to the latest forecast.

It’s likely the weekend will bring a big range of temperatures across North Georgia, Monahan said. Atlanta is expected to see lows in the mid-50s and highs in the 60s both Saturday and Sunday.