WEATHER-TRAFFIC UPDATE: Westside troubles spread to downtown, DeKalb

Here's Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Glenn Burns with a look at your Tuesday evening forecast.

ATLANTA FORECAST

Tuesday: High: 50

Tuesday night: Low: 30

Wednesday: High: 50

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

Those on the Westside aren’t the only ones enduring heavy delays during the evening commute. Downtown Atlanta and the Perimeter in DeKalb County also have lengthy delays.

The Outer Loop in Fulton County is still reeling from a tractor-trailer fire that previously blocked all southbound lanes past Hollowell Parkway, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. All lanes reopened just after 2 p.m.

RELATED: Lanes reopen after tractor-trailer fire on I-285 Outer Loop

A stall on the Downtown Connector near 10th Street now has three lanes blocked, according to the Traffic Center.

A left lane on I-285 North in DeKalb near Lavista Road is blocked by a crash, causing delays on the Outer Loop, the Traffic Center reported.

Downtown drivers can also expect some delays around Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the state high school football championships. Games are being played Tuesday and Wednesday after being bumped from the weekend schedule when Atlanta United qualified for the MLS Cup.

The third game started at 4:30 p.m., and the final game is scheduled for 8 p.m.

MORE: Mid-week championship games can't dampen spirit of 16 finalists

Atlanta has warmed to 53 degrees, which is three degrees warmer than expected, after starting the day near freezing with concerns of black ice across North Georgia, according to Channel 2 Action News.

Temperatures neared the morning low around 9 a.m., with most areas within a degree or two of freezing, Channel 2 meteorologist Brad Nitz said. For much of the morning, pavements were wet and road temperatures across North Georgia were also at freezing, creating ripe conditions for dangerous patches of ice to form.

As a precaution, several metro Atlanta school districts and state and city governments delayed opening until 10 a.m. Some mountain counties canceled classes.

RELATED: Schools, offices delay openings Tuesday due to possibility of black ice

Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said the threat of black ice remains for mountain counties, particularly Rabun. Drivers there will have to look out for the sometimes invisible, dangerously slick patches of ice throughout the day, she said.

MORE: Black ice: What Georgia drivers need to know to stay safe

“No rain, either, we're going to keep it dry,” Minton said. “But we will get cold again tomorrow morning.”

Temperatures are expected to fall below freezing Tuesday night. It only gets warmer from there, Minton said.

“The plan is to keep it a little warmer each day, and as we get to Friday morning, lows will be in the 40s,” she said.

While it won’t be as chilly Friday, Minton said it will be rainy. Friday has an 80 percent chance of rain, and the wet weather should stick around through part of Saturday morning, according to the latest forecast.

ajc.com

icon to expand image

» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.

» Download The Atlanta Journal-Constitution app for weather alerts on-the-go.