Residents across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia will notice a cooler and cloudier start to the week as a Cold Air Damming (CAD) wedge builds down the East Coast and settles into Northeast Georgia.

Forecasters say mostly clear skies early Monday will quickly give way to increasing cloud cover, especially across Northeast Georgia. The strengthening wedge will push cooler air into the region, holding afternoon highs in the mid-50s in parts of Northeast Georgia. In contrast, areas farther south in Georgia could still see temperatures climb into the mid-70s.

For Chattooga County, expect a noticeable temperature difference compared to the warmth of recent days. While only isolated showers are possible Monday morning, dry air in place should limit rainfall coverage.

The CAD wedge will linger into Tuesday but weaken slightly, allowing temperatures to rebound by a few degrees. Even so, conditions will remain cooler than average early in the week.

By midweek, the pattern shifts dramatically.

A dry and much warmer Wednesday will set the stage for a stretch of unseasonably warm weather across Northwest Georgia. Highs are expected to surge into the 80s from Thursday through the weekend, with some areas potentially approaching the lower 90s. That’s 15 to 20 degrees above normal for early March, and daily record highs could be challenged.

Along with the warmth, moisture from the Gulf will increase, bringing rising chances for afternoon and evening showers and isolated thunderstorms later in the week. While a widespread severe weather outbreak is not expected at this time, a few stronger storms cannot be ruled out as instability increases.

Residents should prepare for a dramatic swing from cool and cloudy early in the week to spring-like — and even summer-like — warmth by the weekend.