WEATHER-TRAFFIC: Rain to intensify before chance of snow in mountains

Widespread rain is falling across North Georgia and will increase in intensity for much of Thursday, according to Channel 2 Action News.

Nearly all of the region is getting wet at midmorning, but showers are mostly light.

The silver lining? Temperatures are well above freezing, Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said. Atlanta is starting the day in the mid-40s.

“It’s chilly, but no threat of winter weather this morning, at least for now around metro Atlanta,” he said.

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Parts of North Georgia do have a chance of wintry mix and snow later Thursday. Monahan said temperatures will start crashing by lunchtime as cold air comes into the mountains.

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Areas around Blairsville, Blue Ridge and Ellijay will go from rain to snow early Thursday afternoon, he said.

“It’s a quick shot of winter mix,” he said. “It’s going to be moving out by late afternoon, and by tonight we're looking pretty good across North Georgia, just cold.”

Even in a short time, the snow could really add up. Some of the higher ridge tops could see 2 to 3 inches of accumulation, according to Channel 2.

Several school districts are closed Thursday in advance of the winter weather, including Dawson, Fannin, Habersham and Union.

Winter weather advisories are in place through midnight for Habersham and Rabun counties and through 1 a.m. Friday for other northeast Georgia counties in the mountains.

Farther south, near Lake Lanier, Monahan said a rain and snow mix is possible but will likely have no impacts.

“In metro Atlanta, it’s just a cold rain,” he said.

Much of the region is looking to add another half-inch to an inch of rain to already bloated rainfall totals. Some areas could get more. Atlanta has recorded 8.5 inches of rain since the start of the month, more than 5 inches above average, according to Channel 2.

A flash flood watch remains in effect through late tonight for portions of the Southside. Clayton, Henry, Fayette and Spalding counties are included in the watch area.

“Even though widespread rainfall amounts should only be between 1 and 2 inches, soils remain very saturated across the area which will lead to heavy runoff and ponding in low-lying areas and roadways,” the National Weather Service said in an alert.

It gets better Friday, Monahan said. Highs in the mid-40s and sunshine are in the forecast, and it should stay dry. The weekend also starts pretty nice with a projected high of 54 on Saturday, according to Channel 2.

Despite the wet pavement, the Thursday morning drive is winding down without any major lingering issues, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

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Travel impacts from rain are expected to remain high all throughout the morning, noon and evening drives.

» 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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