Sitting here in Tampa, thankful that Ivan has decided not to pay us a visit, and praying for the folks in the northern Gulf coast states....be safe, please!!!

And now I'm worrying about Ivan's inland track and what the weather will likely be like on Saturday/Sunday. My parents are suppose to fly into Atlanta-Hartsfield on Saturday, from Germany, and drive to their home in the western NC mountains. On the current track, is it possible their flight will get diverted, or that the Atlanta airport will close?

Sure looks like those are possibilities, and that if they do make it into Atlanta that they should head south, to Tampa, rather than north into what could be some really nasty weather on Saturday evening and Sunday.

Any thoughts? I'm hoping they'll call sometime before Saturday so I can advise them. They probably have no idea right now that there's a hurricane.
the storm will have weakened below tropical storm strength by saturday. it will be raining itself out over the southern appalachians at the time.. so your folks will be contending with flood-type effects if anything. hartsfield may have delays due to inclement weather, but i don't think it will close down. -HF