Northwest Georgia is getting the coldest day of the week today as strong northwesterly winds keep a sharp chill in place even with sunshine overhead. Morning wind chills across Chattooga County and surrounding communities are running in the teens, with the coldest spots in the region dipping into the single digits, especially in higher elevations. High temperatures this afternoon will stay mostly in the 40s locally, while the mountains hold in the 30s, and it will still feel wintry through the day as breezy conditions continue.

Dry air is also moving in, with relative humidity dropping into the 22% to 32% range today. Recent rainfall should help keep fuels from becoming overly dry right away, but the drying trend continues into Tuesday. Forecasters say that could be enough for fine fuels to become more susceptible to ignition, and there is an 80% chance of a Fire Danger Statement being issued Tuesday for parts of North and Central Georgia, potentially including portions of Northwest Georgia. Winds look lighter Tuesday than today, but the air will stay dry while temperatures begin to rebound, with highs climbing into the 50s.

A warmer pattern settles in midweek as winds turn more southwesterly and pull in Gulf moisture. Wednesday morning lows are expected in the low to mid 30s, then afternoon highs rise into the upper 50s to low 60s across Northwest Georgia, with cooler readings in the mountains. Clouds will increase Wednesday, but rain chances remain low during the day.

The next best opportunity for widespread rain arrives Thursday and Friday as a cold front advances toward and through the region. Showers are expected to develop first across far North Georgia early Thursday, then spread and become more widespread into Friday. Current projections suggest rainfall totals around 1 to 1.5 inches in areas north of I-85, with lower amounts farther south and east. A few isolated thunderstorms are possible Thursday, and while instability looks limited, a stronger storm or two could still bring gusty winds. Temperatures are expected to stay mild enough for all precipitation to fall as rain, and the front should move out by mid to late Friday afternoon, setting up a drier stretch heading into the weekend.