Warmth that feels more like April will continue across Chattooga County and the rest of Northwest Georgia through Friday, with afternoon temperatures running above average and flirting with daily records in parts of the region. Friday’s highs are expected to reach the mid to upper 70s, and if cloud cover breaks for long stretches during the afternoon, a few locations could end up tying or breaking records.

A weak frontal boundary will slide through Georgia today, bringing scattered showers and a couple of isolated thunderstorms to Northwest Georgia, mainly during the morning hours. Widespread severe weather is not expected today, but a few storms could briefly pack a punch with small hail and gusty winds. The hail that does occur would most likely be small—around pea to dime size—while wind gusts could approach 40 miles per hour in the strongest cells.

The bigger concern arrives on Saturday, when isolated strong to severe thunderstorms may develop. An early round of storms is possible Saturday morning as a strengthening low-level jet interacts with a stalled front across northern Georgia. The main threat with this activity is hail, though it appears limited in coverage and intensity for now. If hail forms, dime to penny size is most likely, with a low-end chance of a few storms producing quarter-size hail.

Thunderstorms may continue on and off through the day Saturday, and while the highest risk for more significant severe weather is expected to focus farther south into central Georgia Saturday afternoon, Northwest Georgia—including Chattooga County—can still see strong storms. If storms become more organized and tap into enough instability and wind shear, isolated damaging wind gusts and a few stronger hail cores could occur. In the unlikely event that a storm stays discrete and rotates, a brief spin-up tornado cannot be ruled out. Anyone with Saturday plans should keep a close eye on changing conditions and be ready to move indoors quickly if warnings are issued.

Saturday night remains unsettled with another round of showers and a few thunderstorms, especially along and south of a Columbus-to-Macon line, though activity may briefly spread back north into the region late Saturday night into early Sunday as the next weather system pushes through. Additional rainfall totals from Saturday night into Sunday morning are expected to average about a quarter to a half inch, with locally higher totals possible where thunderstorms repeatedly track.

By Sunday morning, the main system aloft moves through, finally pushing the front out and shutting down the rain from west to east. Winds will turn strong and gusty behind the front, with northwest winds of 15 to 25 miles per hour and gusts up to 30 miles per hour. That wind will usher in a much colder and drier air mass late Sunday through early next week, bringing a sharp change from the near-record warmth.

Monday morning will feel winterlike again, with lows mainly in the mid 20s to low 30s across Northwest Georgia, and colder readings possible in higher elevations. Monday afternoon temperatures will struggle, with many spots topping out only in the 40s—well below normal for late February. Tuesday morning is expected to be the coldest stretch, with lows in the low to mid 20s in many areas and teens in the mountains before gradual moderation begins midweek.

As temperatures rebound into the 50s by Tuesday afternoon and into the upper 50s to mid 60s by Wednesday, the air will remain very dry. Relative humidity could drop to around 25 percent Tuesday afternoon, which may increase fire danger concerns. Outdoor burning should be avoided where possible, and residents should use extra caution with anything that could spark a brush fire.