Residents across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia should prepare for several more days of wet and stormy weather as an active weather pattern continues to bring repeated rounds of showers and thunderstorms across the region.

The National Weather Service says widespread rain and storms are expected to continue through the remainder of the week and likely into the weekend. Forecasters warn that saturated ground conditions combined with additional heavy rainfall could lead to localized flash flooding concerns across Northwest Georgia, especially in flood-prone and low-lying areas.

A Flood Watch remains in effect through late Tuesday evening and has now been expanded to cover most of North and West Georgia, including Chattooga County and surrounding areas. The watch comes after several consecutive days of heavy rain that have already dropped more than five inches of rainfall in some communities across the region.

Meteorologists say the atmosphere remains loaded with deep Gulf moisture streaming northward into Georgia. That moisture, combined with daytime heating and unstable air, will continue fueling numerous showers and thunderstorms each afternoon and evening.

Forecasters are especially concerned about storms repeatedly moving over the same locations, a setup known as “training,” which can quickly produce excessive rainfall totals. Some isolated locations could receive an additional two to three inches of rain in a short amount of time, increasing the risk for flash flooding on creeks, roads, and small streams.

While widespread severe weather is not currently expected, a few storms could become strong to severe during the afternoon and evening hours. The primary threat with stronger storms will be localized damaging wind gusts capable of downing small tree limbs, producing isolated power outages, and causing hazardous travel conditions.

The wet weather pattern is expected to continue Wednesday with another round of widespread afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Rain chances may briefly decrease slightly on Thursday as a weak ridge of high pressure attempts to build into the Southeast, but forecasters say scattered showers and storms are still likely because of the extremely moist air mass remaining in place.

Storm coverage is then expected to increase once again Friday and Saturday as another weather system approaches from the lower Mississippi Valley and a frontal boundary stalls across the region. That setup is expected to bring another surge of widespread showers and thunderstorms along with the potential for additional heavy rainfall.

Because soils are already saturated from recent rains, forecasters say additional Flood Watches may become necessary later this week and into the weekend if heavy rain continues.

Temperatures across Northwest Georgia will remain seasonably warm despite the unsettled weather, with daytime highs generally reaching the upper 70s to lower 80s and overnight lows staying in the 60s.

Forecasters say confidence in the forecast becomes lower by Sunday and early next week, but current indications suggest the wet pattern could continue into Monday before drier conditions potentially arrive sometime during the middle of next week.

Motorists are urged to use caution during periods of heavy rainfall and never attempt to drive through flooded roadways.