Chattooga County and the rest of Northwest Georgia will kick off 2026 with bright skies, dry air, and mild temperatures under abundant sunshine. With high pressure sliding east across the Gulf, afternoon highs will rebound several degrees above normal—generally reaching the upper 50s to low 60s. Dewpoints will gradually rise through the day, but the air remains dry enough to keep any fire weather concerns at bay.

Tonight stays noticeably milder than recent nights for most communities, with no widespread freezing temperatures expected. Only an isolated cold pocket or two in the higher elevations could flirt with the freezing mark as high clouds increase late, signaling the next weather-maker on the horizon.

Friday is the transition day. While the morning and early afternoon should remain dry across Summerville, Trion, Lyerly, and nearby areas, clouds will thicken as the day wears on. By late Friday, rain chances increase as a weak surface low moves east toward the region. Light showers may develop by evening, with the more persistent and occasionally heavier rainfall holding off until Friday night into Saturday.

For the weekend, rainfall totals are forecast to largely range from a half inch to an inch, which should be beneficial for soils but could lead to brief ponding in low-lying spots where heavier showers pass. With temperatures staying warm—especially compared to early January normals—there will also be enough moisture and instability for a few non-severe thunderstorms, mainly Saturday. While current projections do not suggest storms organizing into anything strong or severe, forecasters note that a warm, moist environment can sometimes allow a storm or two to briefly “overachieve,” so it’s worth keeping an eye on updated forecasts as the system approaches.

Looking into next week, the theme remains warmth: temperatures stay above normal to well above normal into the early part of the week. After the rain moves out, Northwest Georgia returns to the quieter pattern that has dominated lately, with highs settling back into the upper 50s to low 60s and overnight lows in the upper 30s to low 40s—still slightly above seasonal for this time of year.